Choosing the right glue to hold disparate pieces together can be challenging. Try gluing plastic to metal. It’s an impossible task. A few years ago my fly rod was coming apart.
Read MoreAs American Baptists we have a long and storied history of mission engagement. There is much to celebrate. Many have come to know Christ and have experienced life-transformation through the dedicated work of our missionaries and our mission sending agencies.
Read MoreA year or two ago a friend (not a pastor) from one of our ABC-NW churches decided that he wanted to study growing churches in the Puget Sound area. He visited six churches in five weeks. These churches ranged from 319 in worship attendance upwards to 2,400.
Read MoreJune is a great time of the year to plan ahead for stewardship education in the coming 6-9 months of the congregation’s life. Remembering that we don’t want to talk about finances simply to meet the budget needs of a church or program, but want to strengthen the relationship between people and their Lord
Read MoreA few weeks ago, a program on our local PBS station caught my attention. The presentation was a recording of a TED Talks* about education, which has always been important to me. One person presenting that evening especially caught my attention when she was introduced: Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth. (No kidding, and she's not related!)
Read MoreNational studies of financial giving patterns of congregations report that churches which conduct an annual stewardship education and commitment emphasis receive about twice as much of the percentage of per capita giving of its members as those which don’t.
Read MoreAre you familiar with the acronym, S.W.O.T.? It refers to an assessment matrix that examines these four areas: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It was developed for assisting in the planning of a project or organization
Read MoreMost churches, synagogues, mosques and congregations have relatively few young adults who participate regularly.
Read MoreDo you know who your church is attempting to reach? A common response is, “everyone.” Which, often means, no one in particular, resulting in a scattered, unfocused, often non-existent outreach effort.
Read MoreI’m writing these words watching the inauguration of President Barack Obama while reflecting on the courage of Martin Luther King, and his striving for justice for all people regardless of color.
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