by Alan Fadling | Mar 30, 2023 | Prayer, Spiritual Formation, Uncategorized
I’m not the first to say it, but Jesus is an absolute genius. I remembered this yet again in a recent conversation with a Christian leader with whom I meet regularly. We were talking about how one of the challenges for Christian leaders is ending up with a utilitarian...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Mar 21, 2023 | Parables, Preaching, Storytelling, The Founder's Desk
Most Christians have some idea of what a parable is. Ask an adult Sunday school class and you might hear: “It’s a story!” Another might chime in, “with a moral message!” But the truth is, parables are a very special kind of story with a few key features. And unless we...
by David Lamb | Mar 15, 2023 | Anger, Emotions, Fear, Happiness, Pain, Thanksgiving
About ten years ago, I was teaching a course on the psalms for my seminary students in the midst of a personal health crisis. It wasn’t in my notes, but I spontaneously ended up sharing with my students about my pain, my frustration, and my struggle to understand why...
by Scott Bullock | Mar 8, 2023 | Leadership, Ministry, Preaching, Storytelling
The Master & His Workshop I remember first walking into my friend Andrew’s new workshop, housed in a colonial-style barn and situated on an expansive wooded acreage on the Eastern Seaboard. Think Bob Villa and “This Old House”! The barn had been refurbished to...
by Mike Kenyon | Mar 1, 2023 | Conflict, Leadership, Ministry
Have you ever whispered to yourself, “I didn’t sign up for this?” I confess those words have passed through my mind more than once over the years. When I started out in ministry, more than 30 years ago now, I didn’t anticipate how much energy would be spent...