Staci Devries

I absolutely love this post. Thanks, Ed, for taking the time to share so thoughtfully and honestly. You have given all of us a gift. 

Karen, I want to read this post again and again because there is so much that resonates with me. I think you hit the nail on the head with the need for less programs and more "weaving of faith-forming conversations in our daily family rhythms." This is huge. And sometimes the "how" is the hardest part. For this reason, your tangible ideas, including repeatable faith practices, ideas for community engagement, and more, are so, so great. 

Thank you so much! 

Have never thought of it this way! Thanks for sharing. 

Michele, thank you for this. The need to first acknowledge the pain and grief before offering the hope is so important and I needed the reminder. Thanks again. 

Thanks to so many of you for saying hi! It's great to hear from you. I wanted to follow-up on this post and let you know of a resource and two other conversations happening related to elders. First, the resource: 

Council Devotions: Church Health (Free devotionals created by Rev. Dr. Stan Mast that focus specifically on church health. There are 12 of them and each one would make a great opener for a council meeting.) 

Now the conversations: 

Elders and Conflict (What advice would give to an office bearer dealing with a particularly thorny issue?) 

What Do You Wish You Had Know When You Were First Installed? 

If you haven't already, you can subscribe to the Elders section (click on the envelope in the top left corner) or sign-up to receive the weekly Network email (sent out each Tuesday at 2 pm). 

Thank you again for saying hi! 

Happy anniversary to Church Juice! Thankful for this ministry. 

Thank you for taking the time to educate me on something I was not aware of. 

You are important, and I hope all of us as the church continue to learn and make space for everyone. 

Miriam, I have been so blessed by your writing and heart for others, especially those who are vulnerable. Your voice is powerful and it is helping change wrong assumptions. Thankful for you! 

Helpful and interesting and honest. Thanks for sharing!