“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (John 4:18a). “…you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). In my experience as pastor I’ve often been...
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My friend made plans to come over. Before she arrived, she sent me a text warning me that the “well-meaning” white folks at her para-ministry job made her especially mad that day. She then added,...
[read more]A flood and a robbery brought two Mennonite Brethren congregations in Sioux Falls, S.D., closer in late August. An Aug. 27 storm flooded Christ Community Church with 3 to 5 inches of water, the U.S....
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Churches survive because people give them money. Sure, that’s a simplification, but I stand by it. And I think the church needs to say “thank you” more. Lots of other charities rely on donations...
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At our block party this week, a new friend and I were laughing about how coming out as a Jesus follower might be one of the weirder things to do these days. In her spiritual awakening, she was realizing that...
[read more]There’s an emerging consensus among Mennonite congregations these days, especially among those at polar opposites on issues related to homosexuality. The congregations at the extremes are united in their...
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When our church, Laws Mennonite Church in Felton, Del., burned almost six months ago, one of the things that did not melt was our stack of tubs for feetwashing. Our church family still practices feetwashing....
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I never watched 19 Kids and Counting and never knew the Duggars existed until their scandal hit the news this week. But I had my own Josh Duggar. It was maybe 1969, which would make me about 7 years old. The...
[read more]In “Don’t Break Up the Body” (April 27), James M. Lapp writes that the church is “our laboratory for learning to love, even when we disagree.” He states further, “What holds our body together is...
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Editors attending the conventions of Canadian Church Press and the U.S.-based Associated Church Press in late April in Toronto heard the latest challenging statistics about religion in Canada and its effect on...
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On a Sunday several weeks ago, my family and I had several neighbors over to a “goodbye party” for our next-door neighbor, John, who had decided to move to an apartment closer to his son’s family after...
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Many of us are all too aware of the brokenness, insecurities, limitations and inadequacies in us and around us. When the women of my congregation got together on Sunday to learn from Julian of Norwich’s...
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Thriving in ministry doesn’t depend solely on what any one pastor does or doesn’t do. Congregations play a critical role. I know that my church has done a great deal to support and enable me to thrive. So...
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We tend to measure the “success” of a church by numbers. I propose in A Fellowship of Differents another way of measuring whether or not our church measures up to the kind of success that the Bible...
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The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. — Paul, Acts 17:24 It’s almost impossible to think of congregations...
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You may have never attended an “average” church. But you’ve certainly seen one: older buildings, often made of dark brick, with old-fashioned roofs that slope down from the center, possibly a bell...
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As one of two staff members who works to implement a sexual abuse prevention policy for our church, I have an enormous and difficult task. We have a good policy. We train, screen and keep in regular contact...
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After noticing its persistent presence on my Facebook newsfeed for multiple days, I caved and watched the three minute video of Naomi Feil, a Jewish woman, singing Christian songs to Gladys, an elderly woman...
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BURRTON, Kan. — When Aoife Rose Compton was born Nov. 18 to Rachelle and Martin Compton, she was the last child to become part of Burrton Mennonite Church. After 108 years of ministry, the church will hold...
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If only we could return to the early church, then we’d have it made. This statement, in one form or another, is one that I hear fairly regularly. The sentiment is nice, but it’s just not a notion that I...
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I’ve had a couple of conversations with parents over the past weeks about children’s church and its demise at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham, N.C., where I am the minister of...
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Are you tired of the hypocrisy and greed of prosperity gospel preachers? Fed up with politicians appealing to religious sentiments in order to win elections and start wars? Do you feel like there must be...
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Horst Krueger was happy to only attend one Sunday worship service Nov. 9 at Berlin Mennonite Church. The service — one of thanksgiving — reflected on a historic weekend 25 years earlier. Two Mennonite...
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I recently attended my first high school reunion as a Mennonite pastor. I am a relatively young pastor, and I think for some of my fellow alumni it was a bit strange to hear about my current career path. I was...
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Something very special happened last week to Martin Vlasits of Austin, Texas, 10-year-old grandson of our good friends Guy and Margie Vlasits. His parents, Jen and Stacy, took him to hear his favorite music...
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