Setting Direction I
Through Jesus, we have direct access to God (1 Peter 2:9). This truth, called the priesthood of all believers, undergirds the practice of...
Church Security
With horrifying frequency, there is yet another report of a mass shooting. Whether in streets, clubs, theaters, concert venues,...
Longmire
I just finished Longmire, a contemporary crime series that streams on Netflix. Based on novels written by Craig Johnson, the series...
Rare and Fragile
In a college course in genetics, I learned about Gregor Mendel, the Austrian monk who, in seminal experiments with sweet peas, discovered...
Good News Pageantry
At this time of year churches mobilize musicians, singers, actors, artists, and readers for Christmas pageantry. The purpose of this...
Will Work!
In Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller reminds us that work is indispensable to meaningful human life. In rhythm with rest, we need to work...
How long?
Our longings differ. Yet each of us has an unmet need, an unanswered prayer, an unfulfilled dream. And when hope fades, we cry out, “How...
Approval
All of us were created to be known. We have an inborn desire to be seen and celebrated. We want to be part of something larger than...
Truth
Veritas is a place for a postmodern generation to seek truth. This emerging faith community in the art district of Lancaster (Pa.) gives...
A Fruitful Tree
After 180 years, Washington Boro (Pa.) Church of God is like an old apple tree. The church has matured over the decades. It is deeply...
Alignment
Like vehicles, churches can get out of alignment. When a clear sense of mission is blurred by “the way we’ve always done it,” moving...
A Place to Mend
Seven years ago, Anthony Martin was released from a missions assignment in Jamaica. He felt a call to vocational ministry, but this...
Investment
In six years, Bethlehem Community Fellowship (BCF) grew from a dozen to nearly ninety people. When asked about this remarkable story of...
Free Fall
In the extreme sport of skydiving, exhilaration (or terror) is increased in free fall—the time, however long, before skydivers deploy...
Learning Curve
The phrase “learning curve” describes the rate of progress in gaining new skills or experience. As with most endeavors, it is good for a...
