On Sunday, I watched one of my former students, Marcy, preach in my congregation – the congregation where she grew up. She stood at the pulpit, full of grace, and gave a beautiful message on Exodus 16:2-15.
Among other things, what...
As a youth pastor, I want to cultivate a love for Scripture in students.
To do this, I’m intentional about making sure my students open a Bible and dig into Scripture at each gathering we have. I’m also intentional about giving away Bibles.
Over...
The last six weeks have been challenging.
The transition at my church continues to be difficult.
My daughter started preschool and while she’s thriving, adapting our schedules has been rough for all of us.
Multiple people in my husband’s family...
What the book's about: A Pair of Miracles: A Story of Autism, Faith, and Determined Parenting by Karla Akins chronicles Karla's journey of raising twin boys with autism.
Why I read this book: As a youth pastor, I work with some teens who...
Being a parent is hard.
So, too, is navigating technology and screen time with young children.
For this reason, I was excited to read Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane's Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World.
The...
Recently, one of the big wigs in my denomination distinguished between “called” staff and “hired” staff. According to him, “called” staff are those who are ordained or rostered by our denomination. An entire congregation then calls them into...
I love to read books that challenge me to think differently about something. Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God: The Scandalous Truth of the Very Good News by Brian Zahnd did just that.
In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd explores...
The world, and in particular, the United States is becoming more divisive.
Few people I know would disagree with that statement right now.
Yet, few people I know – including, or perhaps, especially – Christians, know what to do about that...
I care deeply about justice, as does the congregation I'm a part of. For this reason, I was excited to dig into J. Paul Nyquist's Is Justice Possible: The Elusive Pursuit of What is Right.
This book was a mixed bag for me. I loved that...
It's no secret that I genuinely love liturgy. It orders worship, creates familiarity (and therefore, for me, comfort), but most importantly, intentionally centers worship on Jesus.
Because I love liturgy, I was both excited and intrigued to read...