2020 is here and if you attended a religious community this weekend, you have perfect attendance for the year. Congratulations! A new year brings new opportunity and a chance to reset our priorities and practices. Church folks are busy taking down the Advent and Christmas decorations and thinking about what 2020 might hold. Many are... Continue Reading →
Five Things: Guatemala Trip
Whenever I return from any mission travels, people want to know, "How was the trip?" Even though I practice my elevator speech, it never feels quite adequate enough to fully describe the experience. Earlier this month, 10 of us from Geist Christian Church traveled to Panajachel, Guatamala to work with Porch de Salomon in building... Continue Reading →
4 Things You Need to Do to Prepare Your Church to Welcome New People
By Tuesday, pastors and lay leaders have put last Sunday in the rear-view mirror and are thinking and planning for next Sunday. The thing about Sunday is that it always comes and there are no re-runs. Many are looking at visiting a church, perhaps your church, this Sunday. Welcoming these guests isn't as simple as opening... Continue Reading →
3 Reasons Why More People Are Doing Lent
Several years ago I was talking with someone who attended the local mega-church. He was excited to tell me that his pastor had started a new tradition leading up to Easter called Lent. I asked if he meant that the church had started to observe Lent this year. "Oh no, he invented it for this year. Isn' t it... Continue Reading →
The Promise Remains- Thoughts on the United Methodist Church General Conference
I've watched the United Methodist General Conference with great interest. My parents are United Methodists. I received one of the best theological educations one can get through a United Methodist Seminary (I know just enough Wesley to get in trouble). Some of the best practices in preaching, church leadership, justice, and pastoral care that I... Continue Reading →
3 Issues Worthy of a National Emergency
The term “national emergency” has recently taken its place in our vocabulary. The President declared a national emergency in response to what he considers to be a crisis at the US border with Mexico. Of course, there is way more to this declaration, but that’s another discussion for another day. While I don’t disagree that... Continue Reading →
The Privilege of Merely Being Cold
I woke up this morning in my warm, heated house. The first thing I did was turn over and look at my iPhone, which told me the temperature was -7 degrees with a wind chill of around -20. I took a hot shower, picked from an abundance of clothes in order to get dressed, and... Continue Reading →
4 Ways Your Church Can Empower New Leaders
No matter the size of the congregation or the size of the staff, the ministries of a church are primarily carried out through those who make up the church community. Many congregations experience a leadership vacuum, with long-time leaders burned out and newer members not being offered a seat at the table. We make it hard to... Continue Reading →
5 Resolutions for the Local Church in 2019
For most, their experience of the Church universal is the local church. The local church remains the most powerful vehicle through which to spread God's love and grace. Despite what many numbers tell us, I still believe that some of the local church's best days are still ahead of it, especially within mainline traditions. Today,... Continue Reading →
