Church Leadership
-
A Vision for the New Year
The following article is written for Bethel, but it has applications for other congregations. Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 [KJV] Do you remember back at the beginning of 2020? Churches and leadership gurus were very excited to be able to talk about 2020 as the year of vision and clarity…
-
The Church’s Call During a Global Pandemic in an Election Year
Being a church member or a church leader calls us to do things in ways that are often counterintuitive: love our enemies, forgive, speak up and stand up even when it’s uncomfortable. Before COVID, many churches were focused on how to navigate the uncertainty of lower worship participation, fewer families, and less income. Some churches…
-
The United Methodist Church: A Church at the Crossroads
The recent vote at the UMC Special Session of the General Conference has far-reaching implications. This article is a brief synopsis and challenges all Christians on a way forward.
-
All of God’s Children Have a Place
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” ~ Matthew 19:14 Perspectives on children have changed over time. Some of us grew up hearing things like: “Children are to be seen and not heard” or…
-
Faith: What’s it all about, anyway?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1 As Christians, we know faith is important. But what’s it all about? Why do we do what we do, and why do we want other people to join us in doing what we do? If you’ve spent…
-
Welcoming Jamie Donahue: Bethel’s Summer Intern
I’m thrilled to welcome Jamie Donahue to Bethel as our summer intern. This really will be a different kind of internship. Jamie is a business and marketing major at Roanoke College. We talked a few months about her interest in having a summer internship and remaining in the Manassas area. I jokingly said “Hey ……
-
Prayer for the National Day of Prayer on Government
I prayed the following prayer for the National Day of Prayer in Manassas, VA, on Thursday, May 5, 2016. The topic for the prayer is government. Good evening, Church. I come here tonight as one who wears the label “Lutheran.” All of us wear the label “Christian.” It may sound odd at first, but we are…
Epicurious Lutheran 