I wrote this litany of healing several years ago. However, this year I have adapted it to be more directly applicable to the time of COVID and have included contemplative actions that encourage us to reflect on the healing power of God in the many ways it is expressed. I have found that the combination of prayers and actions like …
Acknowledging Your Pain – Celebrating Blue Christmas
We are rapidly approaching the end of a year that, for many of us, has been the most challenging of our lives. We are all worn out and weary. A lot of us are ZOOMed out, Coronavirused out, and longing for peace. We’re all in different places and spaces, and all of our stories are unique, but we all share …
Getting Ready For Christmas
At our last community meeting, we started talking about Christmas. Yep, Christmas! It still seems so far away but it needs a little more attention this year as our celebrations will probably look a little different than in previous years. Our churches won’t have Christmas pageants, carol singing or fun family gatherings, most of us won’t be traveling and Tom …
BELLS for the Season
Friends, I am struggling. Those close to me are not shocked by this because when they have checked in on me, I fumble through poorly worded responses. This has been going on for a while, but I think I am finally coming to terms with it. This season of life has turned me upside down. Most days, I live in one …
Wonder in the Trauma Healing Process
We live in a deeply traumatized world. COVID has changed all of us and the ways we interact with our congregations and communities. Most of us are living in a state of constant anxiety and stress. These last few months have shaken us to the core. Many are filled with fear and uncertainty. We know the future will require change, …
The Moment of Disruption & Decentralization
We are facing a disruption to the Church in ways that we have not seen in our lifetime. Rather than waiting for life to go back to normal for our church activities, we need to embrace this disruption as a gift that is breaking open space for new life and new possibilities. The last great disruption was The Reformation, which …
The Decentralized Shift Immersion
A 5-week Immersion for re-imagining and restructuring your mid-size or mega church toward decentralized gatherings w/ Dan White Jr & friends About this Immersion A global pandemic has disrupted the Church, there is no denying it—it feels apocalyptic. Many Churches are not sure when or how to gather their people without putting them in harms way. So what are the …
Hybrid Ecclesiology: A Proposed New Normal
There’s no need to revisit the history of how we got where we are today. We know all the facts surrounding COVID and the struggles that churches are facing in the midst of the pandemic and shutdown. Some of you reading this are dealing with these tensions on a daily basis and my heart truly goes out to you. Almost …
Engaging the Neighborhood Immersion
A 4-week Immersion in discovering the local, relational, and globally networked Church around you with Tim Soerens and Christiana Rice About this Immersion We as the Church are living and leading in confusing and challenges times. Reading the headlines it can seem like everything is melting down, but when you get closer to street and pay attention to what God …
Dialogical Preaching Immersion
A 4-week Immersion in how to bring together both declarative and interactive elements in the act and art of preaching w/ Dan White Jr. About this Immersion Covid-19 has disrupted the Church and especially the act of preaching. Many Pastors found themselves struggling to deliver a sermon that connected with people watching from the comfort of their homes. Is there …