I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I hear the word evangelism, I have a visceral response. My heart sinks, and one of three images usually comes to mind: The bearded, scruffy-looking man walking down the sidewalk with the cardboard sign declaring, “The end is near!” The street preacher dressed to the nines on the corner, bullhorn in hand, …
One of the most pressing pastoral concerns of our day is addressing the overwhelming fear that binds us in the Western world, and particularly in the United States. The noted writer Marilynne Robinson has an essay in her recent collection The Givenness of Things that boldly names this pervasive culture of fear in which we live (I highly recommend reading …
In this season of Advent we learn about waiting. Waiting is painful. It brings anxiety and sometimes causes us to wonder where God is or if he cares. The prophet Malachi spoke of the Messiah’s coming in an eponymous Old Testament book: I have loved you, saith the LORD…Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before …
Advent is here! This beautiful season which marks the beginning of the liturgical year began on November 29 and will conclude on Christmas Eve. Celebrating this important season is a great way to introduce your congregation to the Christian calendar. Advent means arrival, and the season beckons us to ponder three monumental arrivals: The arrival of Christ in flesh as a baby through Mary, the arrival of Christ in …
My wife Deb and I recently moved our family to a northeastern suburb of Indianapolis to plant a church with our friends Matt and Sharon Tebbe. There were a few reasons for landing where we did, mostly having to do with the relationships our friends (who had arrived a few months before we had) were establishing. It seemed good to …
Although the following books are all excellent, my Ten Books from 2015 list is not a broad, “best books of the year” list. These books are ones that I believe will draw us deeper into the challenges of our day and deeper into faithfulness to the way of Jesus. This list reflects a diversity of authors, genres, and perspectives, but I …
In our first church plant in 2008, we experimented with mid-sized groups called Missional Communities (MCs). MCs are kind of like extended families: groups of fifteen to forty people focused on a relational network or neighborhood. The experience of doing life together, of living a life on mission with a group of people, was life changing for our family. Eating Alone …
Advent is here, the wonderful season marking the beginning of the liturgical church year. Many of us look forward to this season with mixed feelings. We want to simplify and take time for spiritual practices that help us refocus and prepare for our celebration of the birth of Christ, but for many churches it is the busiest time of the year. …