two things we need
Fire requires oxygen and fuel in tandem to keep burning—something that’s important to know in my part of the world when winter snowstorms come calling! If you don’t have enough oxygen flowing to the logs you’ve set ablaze, the fire will die down. And if you run out of wood, you’ll soon be trying to warm your hands over cooling ashes!
you choose Q: what's the mission of the church?
Q; What's the mission of the church? —Sean
A: The church is a holy priesthood. As a body, it shares the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost and intercedes with God for an unbelieving world (1 Peter 2:5,9). Acts 2:42 summarizes the activities of the earliest fellowship of believers—activities that should still characterize the church today—this way: “The believers devoted themselves to the…
youth ministry 101
If you read some recent books on youth ministry, it’s hard not to get the sense that this part of church ministry is experiencing some major struggles. And nearly everyone has an opinion about how youth ministry should be improved. Parents, youth workers, and young people themselves have expectations and demands that don’t always overlap. So, what should we do?
August 27, 2012
What is the most helpful thing a spiritual mentor in Jesus has ever taught you through word or action?
tangible creativity
A friend named Erik Lokkesmoe, a successful audience mobilization agency founder and principal, recently shared on Facebook: “Here’s something I am trying with my kids: collecting unfinished artwork that shows the creative process, not the finished product. The handwritten notes that led to a new song. The pencil sketch of a painting. And, recently, a personalized drawing of Scar from…
the stories we tell
I’m often disappointed with kids’ Bible story books. They usually paint a sugary picture that presents the Bible as a very safe and manageable book. Often, you get a collection of pithy moralisms that you could get just as well (better, perhaps) from Aesop’s Fables.
With this posture, the Bible’s truths have lost their scandal; they don’t require a cross or…
