It’s SOCIAL Media… not an electronic bulletin board by Richard Hong You’ve felt the pressure. The church needs a Facebook page. Should we be on Instagram? But while many churches are trying to have a presence on social media, most are being ineffective. And the primary reason they are failing is they are forgetting… Read more »
April 13, 2018
The Church for Today
It’s SOCIAL Media… not an electronic bulletin board by Richard Hong You’ve felt the pressure. The church needs a Facebook page. Should we be on Instagram? But while many churches are trying to have a presence on social media, most are being ineffective. And the primary reason they are failing is they are forgetting… Read more »
Called to resistance A Revised Common Lectionary resource for January 28 by Magdalena I. García They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching — with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ – Mark 1:27 Read the full lectionary passage here There… 
Finding God in the Junk Drawer A much-needed reminder to ‘watch for God’ by Donna Frischknecht Jackson God spoke to me the other day. I wasn’t standing on some mountaintop. Nor was I lying prostrate on the floor. I wasn’t even kneeling in the quiet of the old sanctuary of the little rural church… 
Called to discipleship A Revised Common Lectionary resource for January 21 by Magdalena I. García And immediately they left their nets and followed him. – Mark 1:18 Read the full lectionary passage here Jesus called disciples: Simon, Andrew, James, and John, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Martha, and Susanna, and they immediately left their nets, without objection,… 
Forced Ecclesiastical Assimilation? by Antonio ‘Tony’ Aja I am an immigrant and a former refugee. I came from Cuba to the U.S. via Spain in the late ’60s. I belong to that group of people from the “Global South’’ who began to migrate to this country by the millions after the liberalization of the… 
Mystery Box Outsiders wonder what’s inside church by Richard Hong I used to live near a business that had an innocuous name – I forget what it was. There would usually be just a few cars parked outside. The windows had blinds covering them. I never figured out what it was. Was it a… 
The Great Epiphany Challenge Joining the Magi in seeing Christ among us by Donna Frischknecht Jackson It’s January 5, and I know I should take my Christmas tree down. The needles are falling at an alarming rate and each morning as I sip my coffee in the kitchen I can hear the clunk of… 
Can We Talk About Sexism? In #metoo conversations, the church can do better by Susan Rothenberg Here’s a statistic that you may or may not find startling. A study by PC(USA) Research Services in 2016 revealed 84% of female teaching elders have experienced discrimination, prejudice or harassment based upon their gender. Yet, 48% of male… 
Good Trouble Can we see our overwhelming challenges in the church as blessings? by Susan Rothenberg Recently, I found myself in a room with about 40 pastors of various colors and ages who had gathered to hear a famous speaker talk about issues facing the church today. After the speaker left for the airport, we… 
Whose fault is it? Blame has no place in the Kingdom of God By Susan Rothenberg Whose fault is it? When a congregation reaches the end of its life, whose fault is it? A pastor who kept putting off retirement, and as he lost energy, so did the congregation? A music director who refused to play…