Feb 16, 2016 | Inspiration, Perspectives
I escaped from prison in mid-October, 2003. Perhaps I’d best explain myself lest rumors fly: My prison wasn’t a cell with bars. It was a state of mind and heart in which the fear of financial insecurity held me captive. My husband left his lucrative career as a civil...
Feb 11, 2016 | Inspiration, Perspectives
So your church is considering a ministry to the disabled. As the baby boomers reach their senior years, more people need specialized ministry than ever before. But how is disability defined? I could be a poster child for the term. I live in a nursing home, use...
Feb 9, 2016 | Inspiration, Refreshment
It is something we deal with as pastors, something we talk about behind the scenes, but it is rarely addressed out in the open. Yet, in the open or not, we must deal with the crazies. I’m not using that term to disparage the mentally ill. Rather,...
Feb 8, 2016 | Inspiration, Perspectives
As I sit, enjoying my mocha latte at a local coffee house, I watch the crowds of people mingle in various associations. They are engaged in numerous conversations as they sit opposite one another and fill the atmosphere with language and laughter, enjoying the respite...
Feb 5, 2016 | Inspiration, Perspectives
What is your job title outside of church? VP and Associate Publisher, Bible Group, HarperCollins Christian Publishers What is your title in the church? Associate Pastor, St. Ignatius Christian Orthodox Church How far in advance to you prepare for services? I begin...
Feb 4, 2016 | Inspiration
The day has come,” time guru said, “To talk of many things”
Of days and nights and choices too Of calendars and flings
And why our days are taken up With craziness that chaos brings If you feel like a hamster running on a wheel with no break or your calendar is...
Feb 3, 2016 | Inspiration, Perspectives
Don’t get me wrong. Most church vision and mission statements sound great. They usually include clear biblical values and been crafted to be interesting and memorable. But what difference do they actually make to the lifestyles of those who adopt them? In recent...
Feb 3, 2016 | Inspiration
Instead of creating another program, let us examine what the church would look like if everyone, regardless of special needs or extraordinary abilities, were embraced as a fully functioning member of Christ’s body. Regardless of cognitive processing, verbal...
Feb 2, 2016 | Inspiration, Perspectives
It’s time we start being brutally honest about the missional movement that has emerged in the last 10-15 years: Chances are better than not it’s going to fail. That may seem cynical, but I’m being realistic. There is a reason so many movements in the Western church...
