By: Rhonda Davis on September 6, 2018
I am consistently inspired and awed by what God can do through one human life. The fact that He continues to use His broken, flawed creation to bring about redemption in the world is astounding. Pullinger’s story is a beautiful narrative of just how much God loves all of humanity. I am particularly intrigued by…
By: Jean Ollis on September 6, 2018
I love research. Not just my own – but I love reading and evaluating others research. Research is deeply entrenched in my personal and social work values. In the social work field, professionals are increasingly seeking information about evidence-based practices (not only for best practice, but also out of necessity to accommodate funders). New resources…
By: Trisha Welstad on September 6, 2018
In the newly published journal Theology of Leadership, several subjects are utilized as topics for research including discipleship. Although the idea of discipleship is ancient, it continues to be analyzed for how it functions (or doesn’t) in the Christian world. In Triku Fufa Gemechu’s article, “Discipleship Life Experience in a Servant Leadership Context,” the reader…
By: Jenn Burnett on September 6, 2018
I feel a deep connection to Jackie Pullinger’s story because I consider her a spiritual grandmother. Years ago a mentor and friend of mine saw a very short clip of a documentary on what Jackie was doing and promptly bought a ticket to Hong Kong. What he witnessed was completely outside any experience our denomination…
By: Andrea Lathrop on September 6, 2018
Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone. I kept thinking this while reading Chasing the Dragon[1]. I have heard this statement from a number of leaders over the years. And I think this encouragement is helpful in an era when the negative noise and news has never been louder. This fights against…
By: Rev Jacob Bolton on September 6, 2018
In her succinct and classic homiletic text “Preaching as Local Theology and Folk Art,” Dr. Nora Tubbs Tisdale discusses the art of “exegete-ing” a local community. Exegesis is a skill many seminarians learn early in their career. To best preach the text, you must first exegete the text. I learned Biblical exegesis by looking at…
By: Chris Pritchett on September 6, 2018
The Theology of Leadership Journal claims to be an academic journal for Christian leaders to think theologically about leadership amid the cacophony of non-theological leadership models and concepts that have emerged in the past twenty or so years. The journal seeks to provide, through academic articles, “models and theories of leadership that have been developed,…
By: Dave Watermulder on September 6, 2018
From the outset, the Theology of Leadership Journal seeks to be transparent and self-reflective in terms of its purpose and raison d’ etre. “Do we really need another academic journal?”[1]the Editor asks in the opening article. If so, what would be the unique contribution of this new venture? The answer seems to be centered on seeking to…
By: Tammy Dunahoo on September 6, 2018
Early in the reading I thought, “A title equally befitting Pullinger’s Chasing the Dragon would be Acts 29-46 (MSG)!” The stories were much like those we read of the early Apostles where the light breaks through the darkness and is described with the plain speak of The Message paraphrase. From the opening chapter to the…
By: Sean Dean on September 6, 2018
When I was about fifteen my aunt received her foster license and shortly after had a young boy placed with her. He had had a difficult childhood and as such bore the psychological scars of those difficulties. Anyone who has been a foster parent of a child with a similar background can tell you, helping…
By: Mark Petersen on September 6, 2018
Despite the thousands of books, podcasts, sermons, and classes on leadership within a Christian frame of reference, very little work has been done to explore the theology of leadership. A new academic endeavour, the Theology of Leadership Journal is curating ideas to help thought leaders uncover what makes for a robust theology of these concepts.…
By: Digby Wilkinson on September 5, 2018
I first read Chasing the Dragon in the 1980’s. [1] At the time, Jackie Pullinger was a superstar among missionaries as far as angsty New Zealand teenagers were concerned. She spoke plainly, unreservedly and often confrontationally. Jackie was a force majure to institutional faith, and she got away with it because few clerics were prepared…
By: Karen Rouggly on September 5, 2018
“Ah Ping could really talk when he got warmed up. I respected his honesty, for few Chinese ever tell Westerners what they really feel about them. ‘You Westerners – you come here and tell us about Jesus. You can stay for a year or two, and your conscience will feel good, and then you can…
By: Jake Dean-Hill on September 5, 2018
As I read the Theology of Leadership journal I was immediately drawn to the section called Saint and Leader? The Example of St. Francis of Assisi by Nathan Harter. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was drawn to this part of the journal due to the fact that St. Francis has become one…
By: Dan Kreiss on September 5, 2018
And so it begins. Year 2 of the LGP doctoral program. Another challenging attempt to balance work, ministry, study, and home life all while attempting to maintain the remnants of any form of physical fitness or periods of R & R. Who thought this was a good idea? As we attempt to develop as leaders,…
By: Harry Edwards on September 5, 2018
I was listening to a sermon on the radio the other day and the pastor preached on a familiar passage. In his talk he mentioned that the verses were simple to understand, mysterious to comprehend and difficult to put into practice. These words resonated with me as it brought me back to the story of…
By: Dan Kreiss on July 5, 2018
The Western or Eastern Orthopraxy? Simon Chan’s text is most powerful because of its subtitle – ‘Thinking the Faith from the Ground Up’. Too often the Church has erred because theology has been foisted upon believers from the top down frequently leading to burdensome orthopraxis much like that of the Pharisees with whom Jesus had…
By: Greg on June 30, 2018
The International school that my children attend is an example of disfunction. It has one main administrator that has to have her hands in all areas of the school. This type of micromanagement has been taught to the other 2 principals as well. For the last 2 years my wife has worked at this location…
By: Jason Turbeville on June 29, 2018
As I started reading Robert Quinn’s Deep Change Field Guide I could not help but see my dissertation problem looking up at me from the pages. Quinn is a business consultant at The University of Michigan Ross School of Business. As such he works with large corporations who are in desperate need of real change in their…
By: Jay Forseth on June 28, 2018
What a book to end DMin year one on! Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within by Robert Quinn was a great one to go out on. Our year has been full of TREMENDOUS books, and this one was no sleeper. My title is of course a little off center, but realistically, I try not to…
