Features

The Narrow Path for the Long Haul

The benefits of having faith stretch far beyond a spiritual checkbox. They seep into how I handle stress, find hope, and relate to others.

Suffering From Spiritual Anemia

We need not starve our souls or allow our relationship with God through Christ to fade like the dying embers of an untended fire. We can seek the face of God.

Outreach 100 Churches on Creating a Flourishing Volunteer Culture

“Serving is not just about filling a need; it’s about inviting people into the bigger vision of following Jesus and serving in a way that allows them to use the gifts and abilities God has created them with to build his kingdom.” —Lori Newell, The Church of Eleven22

Can Cancer Be God’s Servant? What I Saw in My Wife’s Last Four Years

As one of our grandsons sat beside her, listening to her struggling to speak and to me reading powerful words from her journals, he said, “Grams, if you can trust God in this, I know I can trust Him in whatever I’ll go through.” Another grandson told her, “I will never forget what you said to us today.”

Why You Might Want to Reconsider Your Short-Term Trips

Make sure your short-term trips are helping, not hurting, the communities and missionaries they are sent to serve.

The Show Must Go On

All the big productions and illustrated sermons are designed around the idea of having something congregants can invite their friends to.

8 Cues Why People Won’t Return After Christmas

Whether I’m working with a church plant of 40 people or a mega-church of over 35,000, some things are universal and should be present regardless of church size.

Pastors, When Do You Move On?

I’ve watched people in organizations – in government, business, nonprofits, and, sadly, far too often in the church — some leaders (people) simply stay too long. Leader, leave before you have to leave.

Isolation: The Loss of Social Capital

Regardless of how people themselves may feel about their housing situation, the research has been deemed unequivocal: people aging alone experience worse physical and mental health outcomes and shorter life spans.

10 Danger Zones for Pastors

It’s the young minister who is more likely to try to brave it out alone. It’s the young pastor who is more prone to end up a victim instead of a victor.

What if This Christmas Isn’t Merry and Bright?

The story of Christmas is perfect for shedding light on the hope we can find in our darkness. Jesus came into a world filled with pain, a world where people searched for hope and longed for the Messiah to come but were constantly disappointed.