I know we’re all anxiously awaiting an end to the political commercials, signs, and robocalls. We are certainly living in divided and contentious times. We see it in our communities, some of us see it in our families and many of us even see it in our congregations. Sadly, November the 4th won’t bring an… Continue reading A Call to Prayer and Loving Action

Nearly 30 years, the folks at Focus on the Family initiated the idea of Pastor Appreciation Month during the month of October. Over the years I’ve seen many beautiful examples of how congregations have expressed their appreciation to their pastor. Some have offered an assortment of gift cards to the pastor’s favorite eating establishments or… Continue reading October is Pastor Appreciation Month and Other Thoughts on Appreciation

I’ve been in countless conversations over the years about the CGGC: what we’ve done right, what we could have done better, what we’re known for and the like. Over the years when the topic of strengths has come up, the work of world missions has always been at the top of the list. We have… Continue reading The World Was Not Worthy

What comes to mind when you hear the word missionary? For some it conjures up images of far off lands and exotic locations. Others may think of language barriers or cultural challenges. Some may think of slide shows and stories of danger and sacrifice. Do you ever think of yourself as a missionary? Yes or… Continue reading Are You a Missionary?

Many of us are remembering where we were when we first heard the news or what we felt on that day and the days that followed the tragic events of 9-11. I’ll never forget the beautiful blue sky that day in Northwest Ohio and the near perfect weather that morning. That day we were shaken… Continue reading Shaken, Shaking and the Unshakeable Kingdom

You’ve heard the adage “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.” I know that wisdom has saved me some grief over the years. If it weren’t for this wisdom, I might have fallen for the thousands of emails I’ve received from African widows with millions of dollars to share with me.… Continue reading Some Things AREN’T Too Good to be True

Is it November yet? I’ve just endured two weeks of political conventions with each party making the case that if the other party wins in November, it’s the end of the world as we know it! There’s a lot of fear right now. I can relate: I think there are serious downsides to either party… Continue reading Is It the End of the World as We Know It?

I know we’re living in a time when very little is clear or certain. When will we get back to normal? Will we get back to normal? What will school like from now on? What will church look like? There are many questions right now for which we don’t have clear or certain answers. We’re… Continue reading Pioneering the Church

So much to think about these days. I’m a bit overwhelmed by it all, I’m sure some of you are as well. This morning, a friend posted the following: Think about how these numbers are going to change post-Covid. “Missiologist Alan Roxburgh notes that if you were born between 1925 and 1945 there’s a 60… Continue reading Will We Accept the New Wineskins?

As I talk with a lot of folks from a lot of different areas, I know these last few months have taken their toll on all of us. There are so many emotions in this season. Some are struggling with fear. Others are mourning loss. There’s more than enough anger and frustration to go around.… Continue reading How Are You Preparing to Love Your Neighbors in the Months to Come?