Resources

When someone stands up at church and says, “God told me …,” we imagine that to say something with such certainty means they’ve been let in on the secret of getting God to speak to them in obvious ways. But more often than not, it’s this Eucharistic voice they’re expressing.

Among young people ages 18-29, one in three say they go to church less than they did pre-pandemic. Before COVID, 30% of adults under the age of 30 did not attend religious services. By the Spring of 2022, that had risen to 43%.

With limited financial and volunteer resources, I needed to fill a critical role on my leadership team.

The women involved in Loose Threads make pillows for kids being adopted, tote bags and clothing for children in foster care, and bibs for intellectually disabled people living in a local long-term care facility.

As a pastor who has served in the season of ‘in-between,’ not knowing if one should stay or go from the current assignment, my heart goes out to you. But I want you to ask yourself, why do I serve?

Many churches are housed in rubber-stamp buildings that function in the same ways, regardless of where they’re located. They provide a needed meeting place for the congregation, but may not necessarily contribute to the story in a unique way otherwise.

Community and connection are some of the key distinctions I see in ministry to women where we are able to help foster multi-generational relationships and offer moments to connect over shared experiences.

Culture wars and ideologies like Christian nationalism look to the external world to find enemies and threats. But as Christians who define our identity inwardly, through a deepening and growing relationship with Jesus, we find health. The promise of hidden, inward transformation is gorgeous hope.