By: Todd E Henley on November 16, 2023
I’ll never forget my very first client who was a former pastor. During our first session he asked, “Are you going to be using God’s word in our sessions?” I allowed his question to sink in with a five second pause and responded, “Help me to understand something?” Me: Did you preach God’s word every…
By: Jenny Dooley on November 16, 2023
Unsettling Experiences I had an unsettling experience as a social work intern in the department of child psychiatry at a major children’s hospital. In supervision a case was discussed in which the family of a child in treatment had become Christian. Over the course of therapy it was noted that great improvements had been made…
By: Mathieu Yuill on November 16, 2023
The transformation of my business, Coleraine Communications, into Leading With Nice represents a journey to a transformative process. This shift aligns closely with the wisdom found in Daniel Liebermans Spellbound and the leadership principles discussed in Simon Walker’s The Undefended Leader. This transformation goes beyond rebranding; it reflects a dedication to principles such as honesty,…
By: Adam Harris on November 16, 2023
When you grow up in a Charismatic, Pentecostal country church you get to hear stories about miracles, angels, demons, possessions, dreams, visions, words of knowledge (knowing things about people you should not know), prophecies, etc. You even find yourself experiencing some things that you can’t explain. Some of my experiences left me forever changed. Books…
By: John Fehlen on November 16, 2023
I was never allowed to watch The Smurfs. You see, growing up in Wisconsin as a Catholic, and then becoming a Pentecostal in a pretty legalistic home, there were so many cartoons, daytime dramas, bedtime network shows, and movies that my parents, pastors and youth pastors deemed to be “off limits!” Don’t even get me…
By: Cathy Glei on November 15, 2023
It was a blistery, cold Sunday afternoon. I was resting at home with my youngest daughter, Abigail, an infant at the time, while my husband took our other two daughters sledding with some friends of ours. I was awakened from an afternoon nap when I heard someone yelling from our answering machine, “Cat, I’m on…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on November 14, 2023
Scary Start The title, the cover art and the first few lines made me a bit skeptical about what I was to read. I was genuinely confused and had to work through a few things before opening the book. First let’s talk about the title. Spellbound, sounds creepy, spooky, and instantly brought the image of…
By: Dinka Utomo on November 9, 2023
We will only know who we really are by the re-ordering of our agency, the transfer of object and subject of self, in relationship to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. -Jason Clark- There was a Sunday School song that was sung quite often when I was little. The lyric quote is as…
By: Todd E Henley on November 9, 2023
Years ago, I heard a story of a middle-aged woman named Nancy who lived in Pennsylvania and one summer traveled to California to visit her sister. Nancy and her sister decided to go shopping in Tijuana, a Mexican border town below California. On their way back to the car to head to California, Nancy saw…
By: Mathieu Yuill on November 9, 2023
Journeying through the intersection of faith and capitalism can sometimes feel like wandering through a marketplace, where each vendor seems to promote their own version of salvation. In Evangelicalism and Capitalism; A Reparative Account and Diagnosis,[1] Jason Clark provides a thought provoking analysis of this junction examining the occasionally conflicting relationship between these two realms.…
By: Adam Harris on November 9, 2023
Last week I went to the theater with our pastor and his wife’s small group to see, After Death, which is a documentary exploring NDE’s (Near Death Experiences), produced by the same people responsible for The Chosen. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by their approach to this complex, and…
By: Cathy Glei on November 9, 2023
There is so much that this world has to offer that deforms a person. Author and University of Dayton professor, Dr. Vincent Miller, in his book Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Religion says, “Our attention to the nitty-gritty materialist details of these cultural shifts will be better able to guide a…
By: Jenny Dooley on November 7, 2023
Maybe it’s jetlag. My head is spinning following my recent trip to Bali, Indonesia. Memories of my life there 34-years ago are frequent companions. Moments of grief turned to joy, memories of God’s provision, and reconnection with people I hold dear fill my thoughts. Needless-to-say memories of bamboo beds, mallard ducks, and Oreos sparked by…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on November 7, 2023
Commodification I must admit, I had no idea what commodification meant. I liked the sound of it but had no idea how to use it in a sentence. So, of course, I looked it up. Commodification the act or fact of turning something into an item that can be bought and sold.(1) If I understand…
By: John Fehlen on November 6, 2023
NOTE: The following “stream of consciousness” essay contains possible emotional triggers. I grew up devoutly Catholic. I was an Altar Boy. I attended parochial school. I was spanked by a nun. Seriously, she bent me over the edge of her desk and used the “board of education” on my hinder parts. It only happened…
By: Dinka Utomo on November 2, 2023
“Providing kingdom-seeking, God-honoring, biblically rooted influence requires that one has an ongoing, intimate interaction with God” -Jules Glanzer- The head of Badan Kependudukan Keluarga Berencana Nasional (translated: National Population and Family Planning Board) Indonesia, Dr. Hasto Hardoyo mentions in his statement that “Currently, the divorce (rate) is high because in many families the original…
By: Todd E Henley on November 2, 2023
“We have become so focused on leading others, we have fundamentally lost the ability to lead ourselves.”1 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”2 The Sound of Leadership by Jules Glanzer…
By: Adam Harris on November 2, 2023
Both my boys have been learning to play instruments. My oldest has been working with the trombone and my youngest is learning the guitar. As they were gaining their musical skills it was a bit comical and, at times, painful to hear, but that’s part of learning! I’m the one who usually takes my youngest…
By: Mathieu Yuill on November 2, 2023
The Question: “What do you want them to say about you at your funeral?” It was a pretty deep question for my uncle to ask when I was 14 years old but the lesson was clear: live your life the way you want to be remembered. As I grew older and entered professional work I…
By: Cathy Glei on November 2, 2023
“God-honoring, kingdom seeking, biblically rooted leadership has a scale too. All the complexities of leadership, the required competencies and character, the convictions and courage to act, and the needed charisma and compassion to accomplish what is needed for the common good of the people fulfilling God’s mission in the world, are built on five words: …
