When I ended my previous ministry, I took up the spiritual practice of baking bread. It wasn’t entirely new to me; I had made bread plenty of times before. This time, though, I had a strong sense that the Spirit was inviting me to experience something new as I transitioned out of old rhythms and into new ways of being …
For part one of this series click here So, what is transparency? Perhaps it’s easier to start with what it is not. Transparency is not brutal honesty or the lack of a filter. It is not living like you’re in a real-time confessional. It doesn’t mean sharing every single thought that comes to mind or disclosing every emotion as you …
When my church plant began it was perfect. We had a full roster of mature leaders who were experts at shared leadership and conflict transformation. There were people eager to be discipled in the way of Jesus and willing to substantially commit to that endeavor. Because of the relational depth we had cultivated, we agreed on everything, and our gatherings …
e·piph·a·ny manifestation or appearance a moment of sudden revelation or insight. My family will celebrate anything. No, really, anything. All the major holidays, of course, but also the first/last day of school, the longest/shortest day of the year, the hottest day of summer, the fact that it’s a Wednesday. We love to pull out the joyful in the midst of …
Every Leadership Team experiences highs and lows, peaks and valleys. Peak: The day you host your first gathering! Valley: the first time someone leaves your community. Any time you gather a committed group of people you experience the pendulum of life, the best and hardest parts, together. This is the beauty of community and presents its own gifts and challenges …
As a kid growing up in Southern California, I spent a lot of time in the water. I loved the adventure of swimming in the ocean and the challenge of making it out to the recreational buoys and back again. They were just far away enough to feel a little dangerous. Maybe it was the hard work of swimming or …