This week is part two of a guest blog by Dr. Reggie McNeal. You can find part one by clicking on this link. Christ’s Peace,Lance The New Normal … Ain’t Going to Be Normal (PART 2) Second, we must change our scorecard. By scorecard, I mean what we celebrate. Church leaders shaped by a church-as-institution… Continue reading The New Normal … Ain’t Going to Be Normal (PART 2)

This week and next week we will feature a guest blog by Dr. Reggie McNeal. I believe it was Wayne Boyer who first introduced McNeal to the CGGC years ago through the book, The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church (Jossey-Bass, 2003). Reggie was instrumental in the development of the Missional Leadership Initiative… Continue reading The New Normal … Ain’t Going to Be Normal (PART 1)

I’ll be honest. There are many times I feel at a loss for the right words to speak or write. Today is one of those days. Often, I feel like we’ve collectively lost the ability to lament: we want the happy-clappy, Prozac-laced Jesus-loving celebration, but we don’t know how to lament. We don’t know how… Continue reading A Lament When You Don’t Know How to Lament

I don’t know about you, but the month of April seemed like it was at least 60 days long! Welcome to May! I know that many of us are still living with a lot of unknowns right now. In Ohio, we have some glimpses of hope – the General Conference office will be open again… Continue reading Do You See the Opportunities?

Over the course of this pandemic experience, I’ve noticed the wide range of reactions people have to the sense of forced change that we’re all walking through. I’ve even sensed the tug of war within myself. On one hand, there are those who seem to be desperate, longing, or even aching to “get back to… Continue reading If God is Doing a New Thing, Let’s Not Miss It!

I can’t help but think about the parallels between our present crisis and what the first disciples experienced walking through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Over the years, I’ve always been drawn to the silence and hopelessness of the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Day. How bleak that day must have been for… Continue reading Turning to the Lord During this Crisis

We all understand that the COVID-19 crisis reaches well beyond the United States. Earlier this week, our Global Reach staff held a Zoom call meeting to get a sense of how this current crisis is impacting our work around the globe. I thought it would be good to give you an update to help guide… Continue reading COVID-19 and Global Reach Ministry Update

There are a lot of things I could attempt to write about today. We have no lack of helpful articles, blogs and podcasts about the times we’re living through right now. We are blessed with an abundance of resources, articles, webinars and other tools to help followers of Jesus navigate these uncharted times. I don’t… Continue reading What is Jesus Doing in You Through COVID-19?

My mind has been carried to Ecclesiastes 3 several times this week: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” It’s certainly a time to grieve. In this uncharted territory, we’re being required to use adaptive leadership whether we want to or not. We’ve never been in a… Continue reading A Time to Grieve and Prepare