Boundary Leadership: a Video-Based Small Group Curriculum
BOUNDARY LEADERSHIP AT EMORY The past three years of course work and research in the Emory University community have deeply shaped my view of how community is formed and how Continue Reading
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Spirituality in Secular Spaces: A Practical Missional Ecclesiology
Spirituality in Secular Spaces: The Challenge As religiosity shifts in our contemporary culture, the Church must shift its perspective to ensure that an orthodox but adaptive future is possible. We Continue Reading
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Bridging the Gap: Uniting Generations at Abundant Praise Baptist Church
Nestled in the heart of the Silverleaf community of Durham, North Carolina, Abundant Praise Baptist Church stands as a testament to resilience and adaptability in the face of societal and Continue Reading
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Pour Out Your Holy Spirit: Transformation through the Font and the Table
Tensions were palpable. Everyone was moving quickly, and arena security was visibly on alert. The concourse was loud as some three thousand people made their way out of the Saint Continue Reading
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Deconstructing Patriarchy, Reconstructing Faith
Patriarchy is one of those systems of oppression hiding in plain sight– especially in the Church. Over the course of history, the Church has used the Holy Scriptures to defend Continue Reading
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(Re)membering the Connection
The Role of the District Superintendent as Chief Missional Strategist Rev. Elizabeth C. Abel The role of a District Superintendent (DS) in the United Methodist Church (UMC) has its roots Continue Reading
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Eat the Livestream: Hybrid Communion in a Digital Era of Worship
“Eat the livestream, all of you.” In the 15th and 16th centuries, two reformers, Jan Hus and Martin Luther, set out to remedy a problem: the laity were not receiving Continue Reading
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Developing Virtual Ministry Models for Small Churches
An Unforgettable Day I’ll never forget Sunday, March 15, 2020. On this day, Cascade United Methodist Church, where I serve as the technology director, suspended its in-person services and weekly Continue Reading
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Between Sword and Surrender: Finding New Narratives for Christian Belonging
Campus ministry ought to create a welcome, safe space for first-year students to begin their college journey, to celebrate their faith and their gifts, and to be and become their Continue Reading
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Worship and Proclamation Post-Disaster and Pre-Recovery
When the storm has passed and the roads are tamed and we are the survivors of a collective shipwreck. ~Alexis Valdes BEFORE… A typical day contained scheduled appointments with people Continue Reading
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SOIL
What is the condition of your soul? For far too many Christians in America, the condition of the soul is in a state of decay and despondency, only exacerbated by Continue Reading
Protected: Exploring and Restoring the Wounds of Immigrants in the Korean Church in America Through Moses
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Sisters in the Pews: Addressing Mental Health in Black Women
Introduction… The Covid-19 pandemic, social and political dissension, and racial discord have contributed to America’s greatest mental health crisis. This mental health challenge is even more significant in African American Continue Reading
The Youth Minister that Saved My Grandfather’s Life
In 1945, thirteen-year-old Bobby and his friends wandered down the railroad tracks, looking to hop covertly on a slow-moving train heading across town. The band of misfits typically occupied their Continue Reading
Thriving Rural Churches in Context of Decline
Introduction: Jurgen Moltmann’s assertion, “True hope is lived in the giving of oneself to the future of the hopeless…. Faith is manifested in love for those in need,”[1] resonates deeply Continue Reading
Living Your Faith As An Innovation To End Addiction
Everyone who saw Kevin Harrod always greeted him the same way: “I can’t believe you’re still alive”. The surprise of his friends was understandable. Throughout his twenty years of addiction Continue Reading
Imagineer Preaching – Reviving Narrative Preaching in the Post-Modern Black Church
THE PROBLEM Preaching in the Black Church[1] has to be spiritual, hope-filled, creative, immersive, transformative, sustaining, liberating, comforting and defiant. In its best form it is comprised of four elements: Continue Reading
Grief is a Language: Using Storytelling for Fluency
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”[1] – Zora Neale Hurston Years that Ask Questions In my memory, 2015 stands shrouded in a thick fog of forgetfulness. Continue Reading
Protected: If These Pews Could Talk: Pedagogy and Proclamation
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