A blog designed to develop missional leaders
By: Rachel Kleppen *Article published in Christianity Today on September 13, 2019 For as long as I can remember, the word missionary conjured up a specific, anxiety-inducing image in my mind. A young person felt a burning call to some “dangerous” or “poverty-stricken” nation, said goodbye to the comforts of home and family, and assimilated into a... Continue Reading →
In our last post, we shared about the importance of focusing on the blessings and the difficulties of being a Missionary Kid or Preachers’ Kid. The book, I Have to Be Perfect (and Other Parsonage Heresies) by Timothy L. Sanford, was written with MKs and PKs in mind, and the following is another extract... Continue Reading →
By: Dr. Norm Henry Our losses from the current pandemic have been extensive, at times staggering. Losing a family member is a great grief. Losing your job is scary. We grieve the loss of corporate worship. Livestreaming worship is good, but we long to worship together in the sanctuary. We miss giving hugs to family... Continue Reading →
Rev. Craig Shepperd Abstract: This essay looks at who the Church is to be in the midst of suffering, brokenness, and chaos. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”... Continue Reading →
By: Dan Reiland I have been thinking about the stresses and pressures we are all carrying these days and attempting to focus on the practical things that help promote mental and spiritual health. Whether you are a church leader, a parent leading your family, or leading in the business arena, we all need to lean... Continue Reading →
Some of the greatest people on the planet are Missionary Kids (MKs). Emily and I have been able to invest in different groups of MKs through the years, and we, of course, have two of our own that we think are dynamite. Missionary Kids possess a great deal of cultural intelligence and seem to be... Continue Reading →
By Scott Armstrong September 1993. I was 15 years old. My dad and mom call a family meeting after supper. My brother and I came down from our rooms, wondering what’s going on. We usually had the famous “family meetings” once a year when some new rule was being enforced or when a vacation needed... Continue Reading →
A few days ago much of the Church of the Nazarene worldwide was informed of the death of Harmon Schmelzenbach III on January 2, 2019. NCN News published a worthy obituary of Harmon, which should certainly be read by any Nazarene who wants to become familiar with missions in our denomination. I was never able... Continue Reading →
*This is part two of the article published in the previous post. Most churches I’ve been to are designed for someone just like me. As much as I enjoy the Caribbean flavor of our worship, it is a constant reminder that our service and programs are not designed to reach me—they are designed to speak... Continue Reading →
By Brandon O'Brien When we moved from Arkansas to New York City, we settled in Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan. Our decision to live in Washington Heights was determined primarily by economics. I just could not imagine paying so much rent for so little space somewhere like the Upper West Side. So, completely naively, we moved into the Heights and... Continue Reading →
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