Confusing Creativity and Imagination…the Difference is Huge
If the name Ken Robinson sounds familiar it may be from his TED talk entitled Changing Education Paradigms (well worth a watch if you haven’t seen it). In Ken Robinson’s book “Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative,” Robinson gives his working definition and explanation of creativity and how it stands in contrast to […]
Spiritual Transformation: More Information is Not the Answer
The Jews had the Law for 1300 years before Christ came. There were all kinds of details in the Law about how to live, what to do in various situations, and how to maintain holiness and deal with sin. As we know today, the Law was not sufficient. What did God do in its place? […]
John The Baptist’s Baptism Was for the Forgiveness of Sins
You have undoubtedly heard that John the Baptist’s baptism was a baptism of repentance and that the difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism was that Jesus’ baptism took it a step further by adding the effect of the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Well, was anyone even reading Mark 1:4? “And so John the […]
Revitalizing Bible Class – Determining a Better Win
One of the most important lessons I learned from Andy Stanley’s book The Seven Practices of Effective Ministry is that it is crucial for ministries to identify the win for a ministry and communicate that win to those involved. When you do that everyone is on the same page working toward the same goal. Stanley […]
Kicking the Can of Impractical Paradigms
I had a conversation about education with the principal of our Christian School this morning. She mentioned that well over 100 years ago our education system determined the order of certain subjects by alphabetical order. She said that is the reason they offer algebra, geometry and trigonometry in that order (and also biology, chemistry and […]
Turning Problems Into Opportunities
In Acts 6:1-7 a problem broke out among the early Christians. It was a dispute over which widows were receiving support and which were not. Often when church leadership receives complaints like these it is easy to see these things as problems. People are upset. Feelings are hurt. Needs are unmet. These things really are […]
Creating Ministry Environments – An Example
Environments are usually set by default rather than by careful planning. We inherit the building a certain way and that often dictates how we use that space. It doesn’t hurt to take a moment to reconsider how we use the space we have to the best of our abilities. Here is a concrete example of […]
Creating Ministry Environments – Influence of Setting
The space you are in can affect a lot of things. Wherever you are right now have a look around you. Would the space you are in right now be more conducive to a loud children’s birthday party celebration or a more formal business meeting? The first would need room to run around, games, no […]
Community – Setting Expectations Too Low
A second realization that came from yesterday’s sermon on community was that I have expected too little from the members of our congregation. When I was initially coming up with some things that would motivate people to come to groups I noticed that we have gone to great lengths to remove as many barriers as […]
Giving Up on Creating Community
Last week I gave up on creating community. There it is. I said it. I can’t tell you how many books and how to’s I have read and heard on how to get it done. Over the last four years I have spent a whole lot of time trying to figure out how to create […]