In a recent IBSA chapel when Nate Adams told the story his son’s coming home after a season away from God, there were sniffles. When he invited others to share stories of their own children who had returned, there were tears. And as expected, from my back-row seat, I could see our dear friend Pat […]
Eric Reed
Fresh fuel for tired engines
What volunteers really want is attention to their souls The current literature on ministry with volunteers emphasizes frequent expressions of gratitude with thank-you notes, recognition from the pulpit, and an annual banquet. After all, everyone wants to be appreciated, right? But addressing the question of “care and feeding” of volunteers, Dan Kimball points in a […]
Pastors need safe spaces
Depression often goes unshared in isolating vocation My mother, a fine Christian woman, committed suicide just before the Fourth of July in 1991. When that anniversary came around this year, less than a year after my wife died from cancer, it hit me pretty hard. It was almost like going through the events of those […]
Millennials’ LGBT unease grows
An eight-mile trip into the countryside ended at an old barn which had been converted into a restaurant. “The food’s good here,” one of the travelers said as we set out after the Sunday service on winding rural and sometimes gravel roads. The former feed store set in cornfields was everything Cracker Barrel would hope […]
Grilled, not toasted
Two things surprised me about my ordination: the interview was not nearly as painful as I anticipated, and it was scheduled 90 minutes prior to the evening service where I was to be set apart for God’s use. What if I fail the test? I thought. My mother drove 10 hours to attend the service. […]
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