Three Ways to Get to Know Your Neighbors Intentional efforts to understand our neighbors can open our eyes to how God is at work in our communities. by Paul NixonEven if we have lived in the same neighborhood for decades, we may be surprised to discover more closely the experiences and values of the neighbors […]
Challenges and Opportunities for Evangelism Evangelism may have a checkered history, but rightly understood it could be exactly what we need today. by Priscilla Pope-Levison“What if evangelism is one of the things that our world needs most?” Brian McLaren’s penetrating question offers an apt avenue to launch this essay. His question takes us on a […]
7 Spiritual Practices for the New YearPractices such as Sabbath keeping and cultivating wonder can help you stay grounded in God and ready for whatever 2022 may bring.by Jayne Davis There is something very empowering about a new year — a clean slate, a fresh start. Whether you enter this new year energized and ready to […]
9 Strategies for Meeting People and Learning Their NeedsStreet ministry is simply walking around where people are hanging out and inviting them people into conversation.By Elizabeth Mae Magill Street ministry is simply walking around in areas where people are hanging out, inviting people into conversation where they are. Here are some things we learned through […]
Allen T. Stanton: Community Engagement and the Rural ChurchChurches can do more to engage their communities—and the effort does not need to be flashy or expensive. It can be as simple as chopping wood.By Allen T. Stanton In conversations with people across North Carolina, I’ve noticed that people speak about rural communities in one of […]
A Community Grows Its Way Out Of PovertyA pastor in North Carolina has developed a farming and beekeeping operation that improves local health and helps train young people.By Bridgette A. Lacy The Rev. Richard Joyner prefers delivering his sermons in the garden. Dressed in jeans and boots and armed with gloves, Joyner is surrounded by […]
The church exists to evangelizeEvangelization involves our being agents of the Holy Spirit in helping people have a profound experience of Jesus and his love.By Archbishop William E. Lori In 1975 Blessed Pope Paul VI, issued a landmark document, “Evangelii Nuntiandi” (“Evangelization in the Modern World”). Drawing together the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, […]
Three words of hope for the Church in transition As institutions are shaken to the core, these three New Testament words reveal “the essence of what it means to be the church.” By Mark Wingfield The words came out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying: “This is the only conversation that matters […]
Finding Space for Your SoulWe all need spaces that rest our bodies, slow our minds, and allow our souls to expand.by Laura B. Murray Space for Your Soul.Where does your soul breathe? The space where your shoulders drop, you are not thinking of the next things, the emotions show up, and your lungs expand and […]
Take a P This WeekThe five P’s of contemplation are well worth the 12 minutes they take out of an otherwise busy and stressful day.by Jack Levison I was sitting with my teaching assistant yesterday at a local coffee haunt near our campus. As we chatted amiably, I mentioned that her workload would be a […]