We kicked off our fall programming this year by wrestling with the question, “Does God exist?”, a question prompted – at least in part – by the fact that some of our freshmen are adamant about their belief that God does not exist.
Part of the...
While on vacation, my extended family and I went boating, something I have fond memories of from childhood vacations.
As is often the case when extended family gathers, as we sat around the beach, people started telling stories. One story was told...
What I'm Reading:
Fiction:
The end of summer and the beginning of fall have been CRAZY! Nevertheless, I read 7 fiction books during the last two months.
Best beach read: Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty. I don't typically consider...
I stopped at the library yesterday to pick up some books I'd reserved. When I did, the librarian asked me if I'd found “Goose Needs a Hug” yet.
When I said it wasn't lost, she responded, “Oh. I just assumed it was since you've had it since July....
This year, I'm particularly excited about my adult leadership team because it includes a combination of returning and new leaders. Last week, we discussed five contributions veteran leaders make to your team. But the truth is, new leaders...
One of my consistent struggles with Christianity is that it can feel as though there is no place for those who struggle, for those who doubt. So many Christian books are written from this struggle-free perspective.
I remember being acutely aware...
One of the things I'm most excited about this year in ministry are my leaders. We met last week for training and I walked away thinking, “There's one word to describe that meeting: Holy.”
One reason why I'm particularly excited about this group of...
What the book's about: Waking Up White chronicles the author's, Debby Irving's, journey in discovering her part - as a white woman - in the story of race in America.
Why I read this book: Each year, my senior pastor selects a book for our...
Dear Todd and Margo -
I admit, I don't know if these are actually your real names. They're likely not. But when we had the misfortune of meeting you tonight at dinner, you reminded my husband and I an awful lot of Todd and Margo Chester – the...
My research from The Jesus Gap found there’s a gap between what youth workers think churched teens believe about Jesus and what they actually know about him. In response to this data, many youth workers have told me, “I agree there’s a gap. But...