During this past year, God has held my hand through an unexpected journey of experiences that have at times brought me to mountains of wonder and excitement, and at other times have led me into
When someone asks you what you’ve achieved in life, what do you say? If you’re like me, I naturally tend to rattle off my education, jobs, awards, and if I get desperate, even my mediocre
I have spent a few weekends over the past few months with the community of Good Works, Inc. in Athens, Ohio (www.good-works.net). This organization (which began in 1981) primarily cares for widows, children struggling with
Against the advice of Dionysius (ironically, the god of madness), Midas asked for the power to turn everything he touched to gold—to power, wealth, prestige. The next day he hugged his only daughter, turning her
I’m beginning the final lap of seminary, and there’s a common question that typically arises that goes something like this: What’s your plan post-graduation? Ah, yes. To be honest, the question frustrates me despite the
In 1994, a thirty-year-old Wall Street executive left a high paying job to launch an online concept called Amazon.com. The company did not turn a profit for the first seven years, but since then, Amazon has
Church Leader Voices highlights the work of church leaders in a variety of ministry settings from around the world. At the age of 78, Jim Powell is on-call 24/7. Since 1997, he has served
This past Holy Week, three experiences re-shaped the way I understand the relationship between the church and American culture. SCENE ONE: THE TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE It all started on Palm Sunday. After leaving
I used to wonder how the Israelites could have forgotten God’s faithfulness so quickly after being delivered out of Egypt. God had worked such obvious wonders right before their eyes. They had witnessed the plagues,
Teddy Ray, Lead Pastor at Offerings First United Methodist Church in Lexington, Ky., had been pastoring for 10 years before he knew he was called to ministry. In fact, he took a year-long mission sabbatical
In my work on Conference staff, I encounter churches who desire to have more (and more diverse) young people attending and leading in their congregations. In my former work (as a Campus Minister for 12
This is part two of an article written by Brian & Callie Troyer. For part 1, see previous post. 4. Orphan care is a command, not just a calling. As a therapist working with Department of
