Understanding Our Perspective

A few days ago I went to a lecture by John Pavlovitz. He spoke passionately about the church’s need to embrace an expansive hope, to keep extending the table, because the table belongs to Christ, not to us. I think a lot about extending the table, in part because I drive past a restaurant renovation … Continue reading Understanding Our Perspective →

People Behind The Scenes

Last week I was in Columbus, Ohio for United Methodist Women Assembly. Over 6,000 women gathered for worship, study and workshops on how to put our faith, hope and love into action. This week I'm at a required training for pastors. Next week I'll be at the Texas Annual Conference in Houston, Texas. It's a … Continue reading People Behind The Scenes →

The Hopefulness of Mission, or Why I’m Not Worried about the Future of the UMC

I am a United Methodist. My denomination recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, remembering how it was formed by a union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968. This church has formed me as a disciple of Jesus Christ, has taught me grace, taught me how to sing grace, preach grace, … Continue reading The Hopefulness of Mission, or Why I’m Not Worried about the Future of the UMC →

Planning A Short-Term Mission Trip – The Work Project

Welcome to part two of our series on planning a short-term mission trip! Monday we discussed selecting a destination. Today we consider the question of the work done on a mission trip. How do you choose what work your mission team will do on your mission trip? And when do you make this decision? In … Continue reading Planning A Short-Term Mission Trip – The Work Project →

The Problem of Persistent Poverty

Ten years ago my oldest daughter went on a youth mission trip. She was the only one from our church, joining a group of youth from churches in our district. They spent the week working on the kitchen of an elderly woman who told them stories of growing up in Jamaica, how proud she was … Continue reading The Problem of Persistent Poverty →