Your congregations’ efforts to teach your teens and students how to study the Bible makes a difference. As a Bible professor, I can tell who has been taught to read the text for understanding.
All tagged formation
Reflection Roundup: Challenged and Changed
Let’s bravely take one another in and notice the reflection of Christ in the eyes we mirror each gift of a day, our motivation pure joy rather than any benefit bestowed.
A Family and the Family
The church family creates proximity to Jesus and a centralizing focus on him, until his identity becomes clear to all in the circle.
You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught
These stories must be shared, and as adults we hold the power and the influence with which to make space for children and adults alike to tell their stories. We must look around our congregations for where we might be missing these powerful stories of diversity.
When the Main Dish Is Delayed, the Party Must Go On
Have you ever been to a wedding reception and waited endlessly for the meal to be served? The bride and groom are off taking pictures. Meanwhile, stomachs are grumbling audibly.
A Class, a Committee, and an Orphanage
This is the story of how God worked to help Destiny find her destiny as a disciple.
Bringing the Generations Back Together
Ministry leaders in all types of Christian communities are deep in conversation about bringing the generations back together.
Let the Redeemed Tell Their Story
There’s power in telling a story and telling it well. And I believe that there is no more powerful story than that of God’s movement in your life.
Spiral of Silence
Have you been in a small group discussion but felt unable to give your opinion?
The Blessing of Blessing
What would it mean if parents, youth leaders, children’s ministers, and whoever else wants to, took seriously the idea of blessing?
Simple Children's Ministry: Learning How to Talk to Kids
One of the best things your church can do to minister to children is to have conversations with them..
Growing Season
Summer can be a valuable opportunity for growth and new experiences, and in ministry it can also provide an opportunity for students to contribute at a higher level.
A Difficult Conversation
As I watch my daughters grow in their relationship with Christ and start to discover their gifts as empowered by the Father, I am worried.
Helping Our Children Choose Baptism
It is a tragedy if certain children are more invited into this beautiful ritual than others are.
Refining Our Approach
Those actively involved in church leadership at any level need to be familiar with how to reach different people within their churches.
Surprised by Women in Worship
Very often people talk about being surprised. There is something about hearing a woman speak a prayer from a place of reverence and faith that feels much more right than wrong.
Why the Church Needs Feminism (Part 3)
Even if we start teaching from the pulpit that women have value, it’s in the pews that a toxic view of women often resides.
Discipling Children, Part 1: Pilgrims on a Journey
Treating children as pilgrims on a spiritual journey requires us to view children for what they are: God's image bearers.
Why the Church Needs Feminism (Part 2)
Society had always told me that, as a woman, my voice was not worth as much as a man’s.
The Role of Intentional Affirmation in Female Development
Who inspired you to be in ministry? It’s a question many of us can answer, but how often do we stop to consider if we have passed along the same gift?