Dip your toe in. Cold shivers up your leg, all the way to your shoulders. Excitement and fear flood over you as you stand in line. As you wait, you think of all the reasons why you should get out of line: It’s chilly. I might flop. They may laugh. There is a slight breeze. Yet, you stay in line. …
In my two previous posts, Creating Culture: When Values and Life Don’t Match and 4 Ways Jesus Established Culture, we determined that leaders build the foundation for a church’s culture by what they do, especially in the beginning. We saw that it’s not about just starting programs, having gatherings, or copying the ‘successful’ church in your city, but discovering, identifying, and articulating your church’s DNA, …
Lisa Sharon Harper is one of the nation’s most influential voices on faith-rooted advocacy. She serves as the chief church engagement officer at Sojourners, a non-profit organization committed to putting Christian faith into action in the pursuit of social justice, peace, and environmental stewardship. She is the author of multiple books, including most recently, The Very Good Gospel: How Everything …
Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev said God created the world by imagination. We see it in the creativity of kids and artists, but in the church, few of us are encouraged to maintain our creative imaginations. Yet, to become the people God intends us to be, it is necessary. So here are some tips for stirring creativity and imagination in your …
We live in a culture that is increasingly being referred to as digital, inventive, participatory, designer, and creative. As a result of this cultural move, people are discovering more about their identities and finding more meaning from what they create rather than what they consume. The shared language of this culture is one that is filled with potential-based words such as …
Dr. David Leong is the author of the forthcoming book Race and Place: How Urban Geography Shapes the Journey to Reconciliation. He is Associate Professor of Missiology at Seattle Pacific University where his teaching and research focuses on the theological meaning of the city in an increasingly globalized and urbanized world. He lives in Seattle’s Rainier Valley with his wife …
I’ve been a pastor for 10 years, and I’ve never been a very good one.In seminary, I remember learning about how pastors are gifted at listening, and pastoral care, and counseling. That didn’t really sound like me.And then there was all of this energy and attention given to preaching—“pastor,” as it is in many Christian circles, was synonymous with “preacher.” …
I have some very good news—and some really bad news. First the Good News God seems to be at work not only through people of faith, but also people of compassion, who are bringing welcome change to our world in what some are calling an “innovation revolution.” In the last ten years there has been a veritable explosion of new …
Matt Canlis is the creator of Godspeed, a short film about the spiritual formation he experienced during his 13 years as a parish minister in Scotland. Today he serves as pastor of Trinity Church in Wenatchee, Washington where he and his congregation are trying to translate the wisdom learned from people rooted in the parishes of Scotland onto American soil. …
I’m still not sure how I became a church planter. Seriously, my gifts and talents don’t seem to make me a likely candidate. I wasn’t picked early as having “church planting potential.” I don’t have that serial entrepreneur thing that a lot of planters do (although I did start a punk rock band in high school and we were actually kind …