005 We Become What We Practice The Slow Work of Forming Healthier Christian Communities With assistance from Judy Mitchell and Josh Daum Why Doesn’t Anything Really Change? It happens almost every Sunday. Worship has ended. People gather around coffee, and someone notices a visitor standing alone with a paper cup in hand. A few members …
001 When Barnabas Came to Town Recognizing God’s Grace in One Another Most churches can tell stories about people who helped them become what they are today. Perhaps it was a pastor who faithfully served for many years. Perhaps it was families who sacrificed to build a sanctuary. Perhaps it was a neighboring congregation that …
004 What Kind of Community Are We Becoming? Reflections on faithfulness within and beyond the church You Give Them Something to Eat In Mark 6, the disciples are tired. They have been teaching, traveling, healing, and ministering among the crowds. Jesus recognizes their exhaustion and invites them away to a quiet place to rest. Yet …
003 The Anxiety of Becoming Faithful Discernment in a Time of Institutional Change Acts 15 and the Work of Discernment In Acts 15, the early church faces a crisis of becoming. Gentiles are entering the community in ways that challenge inherited assumptions, long-standing practices, and deeply rooted identities. The tension is not merely theological. It …
002 People Before Process Preparing for ministry without losing the center When something important is approaching, ministry teams often become consumed with the work around the work. Messages need answered. Materials need gathered. Food must be arranged. Schedules tighten. Last-minute problems appear. None of this is wrong. In fact, much of it is an expression …
Peace in the House A Conversation Among Multiple Churches Peace as the First Move Before we read Scripture, let’s name what’s happening in this room. This is not a time to solve every problem, and it’s not a time to trade best practices like comparing programs. This is a space to listen for a faithful …
When the Work Does Not Stop Holding Limits, Call, and Compassion Together Mark 6 reminds us that faithful leadership begins with telling the truth, making space to rest, allowing compassion to surface, and only then asking what we are called to do next.
Living Faithfully in the Mess (Longer Conversation) Order, Risk, and the Call to Follow Christ Our Instincts When uncertainty or discomfort arises in the church, what do I reach for first? Where do I feel most faithful: What kinds of mess make me most uncomfortable? Of these questions, which was hardest to answer honestly? Our …
Sabotage and Ministry When Anxiety Disrupts Faithful Work Natural Responses In the parable often referred to as the Prodigal Son, the older son responds to his brother’s return by standing outside the celebration, resisting the joy his father has begun, and in doing so, disrupting the moment meant to restore the family. All of the …