by Patrick J. Willson How shall we preach “The Gospel for an Age of Doubt”? Although that may sound like a new..
by Agnes W. Norfleet I’ve long subscribed to Journal for Preachers, a seasonal quarterly which resources the craft of preaching. The ecru..
by Sean Mitchell For years, I have been involved in a specific conversation on multiple occasions with multiple groups. The conversation unfolds..
by Laura Smith Conrad My church’s session did an exercise a few years ago. It revealed that we were really good at..
by Richard Williams "Relationship status update” was the title of a blog post from one of our Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs). Cringing..
by John Cook Phoenix — Day 1: College students gather from across the country to join the Qwest West, an experiential, outdoor..
When the chair of our congregation’s associate pastor nominating committee announced the completion of the search this spring, one of our elders..
by Jeanne Bishop Homar Fajardo is a native of Waco, Texas, who became a husband and father at age 15. To supplement..
What makes sermons stick for you? How do you know a good one? If the preacher makes you feel spiritually stimulated and..
by Sean Mitchell Why will certain church members not give more money?” “Why will others in the faith community who receive the..
by Christopher H. Edmonton Last August I was able to go on a much-longed-for trip to Scotland. I was there studying with a..
There’s a story we often tell in my congregation (Second Church of Kansas City, Missouri) about our founding 150 years ago this..
A few years ago it was popular to urge church leaders to “think outside the box” in their long-range plans for ministry...
In this season of resurrection, I sometimes wonder what of my spirit, my center I will leave behind when ham-handed death pummels..
In the recent film, “The Theory of Everything,” the brilliance, determination and courage of the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is dramatically portrayed. A..
I’ve heard arguments over the years that the church should focus solely (souly?) on the spiritual well-being of its members and their..
At the recent joint annual meetings in November of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and the Academy of Religion (AAR) in..
Late last year my congregation did something different. We put together what we called “Be the Church Sunday,” in which, after prayer..
How well does your church communicate with members and people in your community? One of the most important public faces of who..
On Mondays each week I volunteer at a 24-hour skilled nursing facility that my congregation helped start for AIDS/HIV patients. Not a..
In J.D. Salinger’s novella “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters,” traditional ways of thinking are challenged as the main character deals with..
Most congregations are interested (if not desperate) to have new people attend worship and eventually join the church. The problem is that..
Earlier this year when I read about — and then read — the “Zionism Unsettled” report on sources of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,..
In a previous column (part one), two strategies were suggested for the first year of a teaching elder’s ministry. What else assists..
When we look back at World War I 100 years after its start, it’s easy to see that public opinion was wrong..
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