When saying what’s true isn’t enough Faithfully moving forward By Sarah Robbins It’s not enough to say what’s true. Every night before our 11 month old goes to bed, my husband and I tell him what’s true. We list like a litany all the people and categories of folks who love him and pray… Read more »
January 15, 2017
Unglued church
When saying what’s true isn’t enough Faithfully moving forward By Sarah Robbins It’s not enough to say what’s true. Every night before our 11 month old goes to bed, my husband and I tell him what’s true. We list like a litany all the people and categories of folks who love him and pray… Read more »
Help! Our pastor is leaving! Effective transitional (interim) ministry By James E. Roghair “We can’t waste any time! Everything will fall apart.” When a pastor leaves a church, the inclination of the congregation is to take off on a mad dash down one of two paths. It might rush to replace the pastor with… 
Is believing enough? Acting in faith requires risk By Mark Roth Once again, verses from the daily reading of the Revised Common Lectionary fell into my lap at just the time I needed it. The writer of James asks: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do… 
Indulgent practices Have we inadvertently resurrected an old tradition? By Mark Roth As I began to write this entry, we had just celebrated Reformation Sunday, which commemorates Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 theses in Wittenberg, Germany, in October 1517. So, confession time. I grew up Lutheran, but had never read through the theses, despite all… 
Cuba: Reality, Hope and the Gospel By Antonio (Tony) Aja This time we had running water everyday for the morning shower. When I first visited Cuba back in 2004 for the first time since I left in 1967, I wrote an article for the denomination where I used the unpredictability of having water in the… 
Small words make a big difference! A much needed conversation about evangelism By Jeffrey Schooley Each month’s columns are a labor of love and there is no greater “I love you too” than when readers send their thoughts, opinions, and even disagreements. I try my best to respond to each e-mail sent to me at thinklikechristians@gmail.com… 
Our churches: Originals or old copies? Figuring out who we are as times change By Ayana Teter Recently, I was invited to share my thoughts on the “big-picture” view of my church. I had the honor of sharing in a panel with a group of Presbyterian pastors from the Middle East. As Christians they were… 
What should we do with critics? Lead them! David R. Collins There’s been a great deal of ink spilled on how leaders should handle critics. Depending on the book or blog that you read, you can find advice that ranges from loving them into friends, to freezing them out, to burying them. I hear this… 
Blind Spots Seeing the dents, dings, and beauty by Ayana Teter So it has recently come to my attention that perhaps I’m not the best driver, or parker, to be more precise. I realized this as I was examining my bumper after an altercation with a taller-than-average concrete parking barrier. You see, I was on a pastoral mission… 
Barriers Things that stand in the way of change By Sarah Robbins We are our own worst enemy. When it comes to creating and maintaining change in the church we work against ourselves time and time again. We pile up all the reasons that our hands feel tied: it’s not the right time, we don’t…