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The obvious happened to Derrick recently. “At a recent leaders’ retreat, eight of us sat around a circle expressing how much we appreciated each other’s contribution to our group. Men wept, laughed and affirmed one another.” “Most of us had never experienced a group of people giving us positive and specific affirmation for our lives. What was scheduled for an hour became two hours. I walked away grateful, affirmed, and energized. We need to do this more often.” Derrick experienced the obvious — encouragement is…

Want to ignite a discussion in a church gathering? Show up with a MAGA hat or a Biden bumper sticker and watch people take sides! We live in polarizing times and the up-coming mid-term elections are capturing the divisions in our society and in our churches. While the New Testament is largely silent on politics, there’s one passage that steers an alternative strategy to our current debates. It’s a passage that all of us are called to obey irregardless of our political affiliation. To grasp…

I walked into my teacher training class my junior year of college expecting tools for teaching social studies. You know what I received that first day? One question after another. My professor was not interested in content or lecturing but in asking questions. He called it the “inquiry” model of teaching. His purpose was to engage us in thinking and asking, not in sitting and listening. That class launched me on a lifetime of asking questions, helping people discover truth for themselves. Asking questions is…

We need new heroes  — everyday leaders whose examples inspire us. These everyday leaders are like you and me. They don’t have a title, a large personality, or outstanding abilities. They’re everyday people with three simple qualities; qualities that everyday Christians can aspire to. Everyday leaders take initiative in the local — they’re emotionally invested in where they live, work, play, or worship. They take action to make the local better. These new heroes display Jesus, valuing character over competency. Finally, they give direction —…

4 Practices to Release Everyday Leaders Please indulge my imagination. I’m writing to imagine a new future . . . a future with new heroes — everyday leaders who take initiative, display Jesus, and provide direction. Heroes are the people we admire for their life example or good deeds. They’re the people we set on a pedestal, who we name our children after, the people we aspire to be like. In our church culture, and our broader culture, we’re championing a certain type of hero…

3 Ways to Practice Organic Disciplemaking I love a thick, green lawn. For several years, I used off-the-shelf fertilizers and weed inhibiters to create the golf course look. Unfortunately, they didn’t give the results I wanted. So I hired a lawn care service . . . and then the pollinators happened. My wife Peggy is a Certified Master Gardener. This means she loves all plants and has received a certification to care, nourish, and grow about anything under the sun. I was pleased with my…

Let me introduce Ginger, our Treeing Walker Coon Hound. “Treeing” describes her life passion— treeing animals for hunting. “Walker” refers to the 18th century breeder and “coon hound” denotes a dog who tracks by smelling. Hello Ginger! Ginger is a rescue dog. We “adopted” her when she was a year old knowing that she had been abused by a previous owner. We fell in love with Ginger’s soulful eyes, her unique coloring, and watchful demeanor. Little did we anticipate the challenges she would present. An…

It’s easy to settle for safety and predictability in life and ministry. The older I get the more I long for life and ministry to be pre-programmed. There’s a safety and security in following evangelism scripts or step-by-step life success plans. Unfortunately, this conformity and predictability pushes out something important — curiosity. Adult life squeezes out curiosity. Gone are our childhood days when we could ask “Why?” over and over again. When has an employer commended you for gazing out the window in curious reflection?…

Masking tape was an important household expense when our children were growing up. Peggy and I watched in wonder as our boys created space guns and castles from masking tape, plastic liter bottles, and cardboard. Their imaginations had no limits on what they could create. What a fun time for us as parents! Reflecting back, I’ve been asking this question, “When was the last time we used our imaginations in ministry?” Let’s be honest. Most of us associate imagination with the play-acting of children. After…

Who wouldn’t want to live a life of leisure these days? Our lives are so frantic that we long for those idle moments to step off the treadmill of life. Leisure is a break from activity to rest or re-charge our lives. Leisure originally meant something else and this “something else” is what disciples need. In forging the word leisure, the Greek and Romans designated it to mean a time free from the obligations of work to pursue knowledge and wisdom.P.M. Forni, The Thinking Life…