I first attended Abilene Christian University Lectureship when I was a freshman Bible major in February 1986. This was back when they still put up the big tent on the other side of Edwards Dormitory.
All in Church
Believe or Belong: Which Comes First?
Rather than holding to a set of convictions that properly constitute a faithful Christian, Christianity is more about an orientation toward following Jesus Christ.
Envy at Church
The very people who have the greatest possibility of being close to us are the ones we are most likely to envy.
Helping Your Prodigals to Come Home … and Stay Home
We often assume our prodigals will know how to stay clean from their addictions, stop hurting people, and be an active participant in the life of our church.
Tension at the Threshold: Hospitality and Immigration (Part 3)
Every conversation about hospitality must include boundaries, and every conversation about boundaries must include hospitality.
Whatever Happened to Eschatology?
The church has rightly discarded anxious and fearful revivalist eschatologies, but have we replaced them with a healthier perspective? I call us to embrace a biblical view of the last things .
Church on the Pond
If you’ve never stopped long enough to eavesdrop on nature, you’re missing out. That pond was a sanctuary, and the birds and the bullfrogs were the choir.
Tension at the Threshold: Hospitality and Immigration (Part 2)
Fair concerns remain about risk and logistics when it comes to relearning the virtue of Christian hospitality toward immigrants and refugees.
Healthy Small Church Looks Inward and Outward for Purpose
This small congregation’s outward reaching focus remains a central pillar of why they exist
Thinking Globally for Renewal!
This shift away from Europe and North America may not have an immediate impact on the church you attend, but I suspect that most of us can already see evidence of the decline.
Tension at the Threshold: Hospitality and Immigration (Part 1)
Some in our pews have political, theological, and experiential bricks stacked so high around the borders of their souls that they are unable to hear the cries of the immigrant.
The Importance of Prepositions
I want to take that notion of being responsible to others instead of for others, and apply it to the church.
Keeping Ourselves—and Young People—Near the Cross
I’ve always been slightly jealous of congregations with “real” youth groups. You know the ones I’m talking about: the ones with well-painted and decorated class rooms.
Conversation Skilz
talking to each other requires skill just like giving a presentation. We already know how we should talk to each other, but we rarely converse that way on our own.
The Way of Wise Leadership
Phronesis is the wisdom drawn from experience, knowledge and insight to do the good and right thing in any particular context and moment.
Are the Doors of Your Church Open?
We need to be very honest with ourselves. There are so many people who consider coming through the doors of our churches but choose to keep on walking.
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.
Discipling Children, Part 2: Children as Covenant People
Children are not only a blessing; they play an essential role in the divine plan and the identity of God’s people.
Why the Church Needs Feminism (Part 5)
We must start teaching sexual ethics with consent at the forefront of the discussion. If we don’t, we are actively teaching unhealthy sexual practices.
Intergenerational Ministry: The Organic Ministry of Small Churches
As a minister of a small congregation, one of the greatest blessings for me is witnessing intergenerational ministry continue to take root in the church in organic ways.