Articles – Page 3

7 Habits of a Highly Effective Steward

June 16, 2016 By the Barnabas Foundation Leave a Comment

Much has been written about the habits it takes to be a highly effective person, or a highly effective family or a highly effective teen. This series of seven brief reflections — which your congregation can reprint in a bulletin or newsletter — explores the habits of a highly effective steward. Since stewardship is a part of discipleship, and discipleship is a journey for each of us, we hope that these habits will help us reflect on this area of our Christian life. (Photo: Fit Approach, Creative Commons)

Why God Doesn’t Do Division

June 9, 2016 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, June 12, 2016
The good news this week is that God doesn’t do division. It’s just not in the Creator’s wheelhouse. Jesus, the Word made flesh, is all about addition and erasing the lines of division between “us” and “them.” These are words we sorely need to hear and live. (Photo: Chad Kainz, Creative Commons))

Common Stewardship Pitfalls

June 9, 2016 By Bob Crossman Leave a Comment

Though many churches have no stewardship plan whatsoever, some work at it but fail time and again. Why? They focus on the wrong things, continue with ineffective strategies, fail to integrate a program with congregtional buy-in or vision — to name but a few. Here are some common mistakes. Which are your congregtaion making? How can you do better? (Photo: Eugene Zemlyanskiy, Creative Commons)

Called from Death to Life

June 2, 2016 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Lectionary Reflection for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, June 5, 2016
We never know how God’s going to show up and change our trajectory. Just look at how the lives of the widows were altered. The best thing we can do is be ready to give it all up and give it all away for the sake of the gospel. In dying to that which really doesn’t matter anyway, we are freed in Christ to truly live. (Photo: Lucas H S Gulmaraes, Creative Commons)

What Gospel?

May 26, 2016 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, May 29, 2016
What kind of letter might Paul pen to 21st century western Christians today with concern for false gospels? Would it be as strongly worded as his missive to the Galatian church? (Photo: Ted, Creative Commons)

Eco-Evangelism in Action

May 26, 2016 By LivingLutheran magazine Leave a Comment

Congregations do more than save money and energy when they put solar electric panels on their roofs, retrofit their buildings with new heating systems and lights. They also send a message that as Christians they are concerned about climate change, fossil-fuel consumption and minimizing their environmental footprint. And they show by example that everyone can take steps to help solve these big global problems.(Photo: Michael Coghlan, Creative Commons)

In This We Boast: In Christ We Hope

May 19, 2016 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Holy Trinity Sunday, Year C, May 22, 2016
Dear friends, when the world is too much with you, and when everything that makes sense seems to fall apart, remember the triune God who will not disappoint. Choose to enter the holy dance of Trinity. Refuse to to be pulled at odds with God, creation, and one another and be made whole. (Photo: Thomas Hawk, Creative Commons)

Abiding with the Advocate

May 12, 2016 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Day of Pentecost, Year C, May 15, 2016
We may not have visible tongues of fire hover over our heads, we may not experience a wild and woolly Pentecost, but as the church of Christ in this time and in a particular place, we will have occasion to experience renewal and rebirth. (Photo: Pedro, Creative Commons)

Carpe Tithing: Invigorate Your Life of Faith

May 3, 2016 By the Rev. Margaret G. Payne Leave a Comment

The tithe as a spiritual discipline is vastly underappreciated by modern Christians. I believe that if we boldly reintroduce the challenge to tithe, personally embrace the conviction of its worth, and then do it, we will provide abundant resources for God’s work in the world as well as invigorate our experience of life in Christ.

The Trouble with Visions

April 28, 2016 By Sharron R. Blezard 2 Comments

Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C, April 24, 2016
Christian activist Shane Claiborne says “The more I get to know Jesus, the more trouble he seems to get me into.” Yes, that’s the trouble with visions. They can lead to some truly unexpected results in strange ways by unexpected paths trodden. And that’s o.k. (Photo: Robert Crouse-Baker, Creative Commons)