Posts

Showing posts from May, 2017

Change is a learning process

Image
  New book outlines how congregations can change into missional, fruitful learning communities Change is seldom easy for an individual, much less an entire group of people such as a church congregation. In Learning Change: Congregational Transformation Fueled by Personal Renewal (Kregel Ministry/May 27, 2017/ISBN: 978-0-8254-4455-5/ $18.99), authors Jim Herrington and Trisha Taylor share the stories of church leaders who were able to transform their congregations by first making changes in their own lives. Based on their previous research and work with church organizations, Herrington and Taylor were invited to develop a collaborative process focused on personal and congregational transformation. They created a 30-month pilot project with 16 congregations. Many of the leaders involved in the project felt trapped in unhealthy, even toxic, church situations and were desperate for hope. Learning Change chronicles these transformations lived out in practice, in community,

Why are church membership and discipline important?

Image
New release addresses 40 of the most common and thorny questions about church life Does church membership mean more than simply joining a social group? Does the church have a responsibility to discipline its members — and if so, what does that look like? In 40 Questions about Church Membership and Discipline (Kregel Academic/May 27, 2017/ISBN 978-0-8254-4445-6/$18.99) , Dr. Jeremy Kimble recognizes and addresses the many puzzling questions about the critical role of the church in the life of believers. The latest release in Kregel’s 40 questions series edited by Benjamin L. Merkle, each section considers questions of theology, ministry and practicality. This book raises — and clearly answers — the most common and difficult questions church leaders and members have. With succinct chapters, 40 Questions about Church Membership and Church Discipline is a practical resource for any church leader, elder board, seminary student or new member seeking a foundational understandi

I just want to get this blog on #thebachelorette posted

It's actually Tuesday night, and I'm just getting this Monday blog post typed. Actually, that's not unusual. I back date posts way too much. #lazyblogger Peyton had a softball game last night, and I wasn't home to work on my post. Even tonight I'm getting started on it about two hours after I intended to. Sigh. I finally sit down to start watching and realize it didn't even record on my DVR last night. Thank goodness I was able to pull it up off of a playback option because I thought I was going to have to watch it online. However, it may be just as bad because it appears to be buffering. I am not going to be able to fast forward through commercials though.  As I wait for the buffering that may mean the season is over by the time this episode plays, let me back up a little bit though. Last Tuesday morning, my co-worker, Caitlin, gave me the awesome news that I would have someone else to talk about The Bachelorette with. While she had not been watching th

The Judges

Image
These kids have grown so much in two years! The Judges God set Judges over Israel,  One brave woman, fourteen men. They helped Israel fight their battles,  led them back to God from sin. Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli, Samuel.

Yes, this was the sixth time

Image
I did something fun this week! You ought to be proud! I don't do that a lot. Now it's time for a confession: this week I saw New Kids on the Block for the sixth time. The first time was in 1990. The real confession is in the fact that five times have been since 2008. They put on a great show every time, and every time it's a little different than the others. I really need to show Mom the pictures of Donnie Wahlberg. She watches Blue Bloods and a few years ago she said she couldn't picture him singing.

Strange, but not the strangest concert I've seen at the AAC

Image
A month or so ago one of the big Facebook games was sharing 9 concerts you had been to and one that was a lie. At first I thought, "Wow, if I did this it would be pathetic because I average maybe a concert a year, and over the past I don't know how many years, I've seen the same two groups multiple times." However, including opening acts, I had a pretty eclectic list that included George Strait and Lady Gaga, The Oak Ridge Boys and Maroon 5. Afterwards, I thought of people I could have added. For example, Trans Siberian Orchestra. That will likely forever be the strangest concert experience ever. I blogged about it once upon a time . I describe it as having an acid trip without ever taking acid. My friend, Jenny, and I still reference it every year. So, Jenny and I have been to five New Kids on the Block concerts together dating back to 1990. It's our thing. For the sixth time, I went with Rachel, but Jenny was sitting one level up and one section over from us

Engaging people’s hearts the way Jesus did

Image
Part 1 of an interview with Randy Newman, Author of Questioning Evangelism     When it comes to evangelism, do you feel pressured to know all the answers? What if you didn’t have to worry about having all the right answers but instead knew the right questions to ask in return? In Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did (Second Edition) (Kregel Publications), author Randy Newman asks readers to look at evangelism in a different way. After all, Jesus asked questions; why don’t we? Q: Why is it better to ask questions than to give answers when it comes to evangelism? What are some of the first questions you use to get a conversation started? What does a question do that an answer doesn’t? (Yes, I know. I just answered your question with a question on purpose.) Doesn’t a question make you think and participate in the answering process? Doesn’t a question sometimes expose hidden or less-than-sincere motives? Don’t questions take away some of the a

The strength and fragility of hope

Image
Part 2 of an interview with Cynthia Ruchti, Author of A Fragile Hope     We easily become so absorbed in our own responsibilities, problems and concerns that we miss what is going on in the lives of those around us, even those we love the most. That’s where Josiah Chamberlain finds himself in award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti’s latest release, A Fragile Hope (Abingdon Press) . When his life starts falling apart around him, will the fragile hope he has left be enough to help through the most difficult time of his life? Q: In a few sentences, tell us about your new book, A Fragile Hope . Much-in-demand marriage and family expert Josiah Chamberlain finishes the final chapter of his latest book — destined to be another best-seller, he’s sure — to discover his wife has left him. Everything he assumed about their relationship disintegrates. His wife, Karin, can’t tell him why she left. It will cost him everything to keep loving with nothing but a fragile hope his career,

David Winters' Driver Confessional

Image
Seat belts are recommended if you’re going to open David Winters’ new book,  Driver Confessional .  Join Antonio, a ride-share driver who winds through the streets of Washington, D.C. in search of his next fare to support his young family and pay law school expenses. His easy manner and Italian good looks lead passengers to disclose a bit more than they intended. On her way to a midnight meeting in a Senate office building, a mysterious woman and her confession plunge Antonio and his police detective brother into international espionage, the Russian mob and corporate excess. Clues add up to danger and car chases pile up on ethical dilemmas. {MORE ABOUT  DRIVER CONFESSIONAL } Driver Confessional  (May 2017) Ride share driver Antonio cruises the streets of Washington, D.C. looking for his next fare. He has an unusual gift for relaxing his customers and stimulating their desire to reveal more than they planned. By the completion of their ride, many feel so comfortable that

Here I am blogging about The Bachelorette again. #thebachelorette

Image
Photo from ABC.com I said at the end of last season's The Bachelor that I probably was not going to blog this season of The Bachelorette . After some down time, I decided I was especially in a blogging rut, so here we go. This time around, the woman in search of love is Rachel Lindsey, the 31-year-old attorney from Dallas. The first non-white lead contestant which is what many critics said needed to happen long ago. There's a definite racial variety in the men this time around. Rachel thought she had something going on with Nick, but went home after hometowns last season. I don't know why anyone was interested in Nick. But, we finally get to move past Nick. Rachel met four of the men at the end of "The Women Tell All ."  Gotta be honest. I forgot about that and didn't include anything about it on my post about that episode. On Good Morning America, she talked about telling producers she wanted to be entertained, so the parade of men coming out of