In the early days of Sanctuary church we wondered “how do we enact the Kingdom agenda of Jesus in real-time, practical situations?” If people who are poor and usually excluded are truly supposed to be at the center of all, …
Now let’s get practical. Our biblical stewardship philosophy should inform us how to budget. When D. A. and I began to put together a budget, we created a list of dos and don’ts that would keep both of us accountable. …
What would it look like if we reformed ourselves to look like the Kingdom Jesus spoke about, if we lived the pure, undefiled religion James wrote about? How could we reshape our churches into real communities of faith in which …
Read moreWhat Church Looks Like When We Actually Follow Jesus
Chris, the pastor of a church Roy and I were working with, frequently challenged the congregation to become disciple makers. But only a few people were catching the vision. Even for these precious few it was hard, because they were …
You might be familiar with the old Star Trek episodes in which Captain Kirk would encounter unknown life-forms on new planets and declare, “We come in peace!” Sometimes I think this declaration should be a mandatory starting point when engaging …
“You won’t believe what happened this week!” Carmen said as she entered our sharing time beaming with enthusiasm. “A friend at work came up to me and asked, ‘What’s been so different about you these last few weeks? Something’s going …
We have just come off what seemed like a month of parties: thirty-one days in which it would appear all of society tried to cram a party into each 24-hour period. Why not, may I suggest, party twelve months of …
This excerpt is taken from a conversation between two men, one who is mentoring another along the spiritual path toward acceptance in Jesus. We are joining this dialogue when the two, who have already met several times, are meeting at …
Are you in full-time ministry? Then you probably are familiar with fundraising in some form or another. Let’s talk specifics for completing an end-of-year (or start-of-year) funding appeal. End-of-year appeal letters should be part of every mission worker’s funding strategy. …
Read more13 Point Checklist for Funding Your Ministry at Year End
“The Convent of the Blessed Virgin Mary” reads the arched sign above the door. There’s precious little peace and quiet in a mother’s life, but here I am, standing unexpectedly at the entrance to this chapel. The open doors draw …