Some time ago, I said to a friend walking through a trial, “I’m sorry.” He replied, “What are you sorry for? This isn’t your fault!”
Tag: church
Welcoming Single Parents
This guest post by Wendy Alsup explores how the local church can welcome, include, and minister to single parents. It is part of my “Welcoming…” series, which features first-person articles on how to welcome various demographics into our lives and church communities. Previous installations include “Welcoming the Hearing Loss Community” and “Welcoming the Eating Disorder…
Recommended: “Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused”
Over the past two weeks, I completed the “Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused” curriculum (and other free abuse training material available through Ministry Grid). I recommend that every church leader, ministry worker, and church member complete it. Having everyone in the church view this material and understand the basics of how…
A Mini-Memoir of Pastoral Burnout
Today I have a piece up at Fathom Mag on my experience of pastoral burnout. Here’s the intro: I knelt on the floor of my study all night, my forehead pressed into the carpet, my fists pressed against my temples. I pulled my hair and wept until I fell asleep, exhausted. Waking in a fetal…
Sisters, Don’t Be Afraid to Ask: The Daughters of Zelophehad and Women in the Church
I’ll admit it: I never noticed the Daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah—until my friend Elyse pointed them out to me. But, now that I’ve seen them, they are some of my favorite women in the Bible. They hold out valuable lessons for the church today.