According to a survey by Barna Institute, spiritual growth is important to tens of millions of people. Christians reported a wide range of activities to promote growth: participating in a small group, doing Bible studies, and meeting with spiritual mentors. On the same survey, however, 60% of Christians also noted that their growth has been…
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Loving Others through Encouragement
I glanced through my journal yesterday and remembered a most yucky day… I had fallen on an icy sidewalk. Someone had resigned and handed her responsibilities to me. Then a friend had let me down by forgetting an important meeting. It had been a most a discouraging day. When these days strike, I feel like…
Who then do we serve?
A critical expression of faith is serving others. No, we do not serve to earn the Lord’s favor. Nor do we serve out of obligation and guilt for what the Lord has done for us. We serve out of the abundance of God’s presence in our life. Caring for the needs of others then becomes…
City Park Clean-up
It did not sound controversial. We had come to serve. For some people, though, this is a story of what-not-to-do. For several years our church came alongside a ministry in inner city Philadelphia. One summer they asked our group of teens and adults to clean up a city-block sized concrete park. They sensed the Lord…
Purpose or Role?
How would you describe yourself? I recently enjoyed a women’s dinner gathering. Following dinner, we went around the circle to tell a bit about ourselves. The widely diverse group included teachers, parents, empty nesters, computer programmers, wives, widows, stay-at-home moms, grandmothers, travelers, scrapbookers, and sports fans. Some were beginning careers while others were pondering retirement….
A New Missions Conversation
Today launches a new multi-faceted conversation. It’s a discussion about how we live our lives as Christ-followers and how we invite others to join the journey. Pouring my experience and research into 193 pages, I worked with InterVarsity Press to publish a new book on missions and the church. Now available through Amazon, InterVarsity Press,…
Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of Four Gifts: Seeking…
What is in a Name?
I dug the permanent markers and the “My Name Is” adhesive nametags out of my backpack. We had packed them for our mission team members. Our outreach was well underway in Zambia, Africa. We were serving at an orphanage for disabled children. Their stories are heart-breaking. In the middle of the night, under the cover of…
Launch of Mapping Church Missions
After years of pondering and writing and editing and writing some more, I’m thrilled to share that my book is out of my brain and onto paper. Over a year ago, I signed a contract with InterVarsity Press to write a book about the church and missions. I’m thrilled to share that we are fast…
Ministry of Presence
I just returned from one of the richest places on the planet. Guatemala. Their abundance in relationships and hospitality rival even the wealthiest of nations. It’s this richness that draws me to return time and time again. For sure, Guatemala has many material needs. Amidst this poverty, however, I continually find a spirit of generosity….
