By: Daron George on April 28, 2023
Introduction The relationship between religion, economic systems, and social change has long been a subject of interest and debate among scholars and those that practice religion. Understanding the complex interplay between these forces is crucial for grasping the implications of economic transformations on societies and their core values. In our readings for this week we…
By: Scott Dickie on April 27, 2023
In His book, Cascades: How to Create A Movement That Drives Transformational Change (1), Greg Satell is instructing his readers on six key principles that drive transformational change. While there were many areas of application to dig into, I found myself ruminating on several primary issues related to my own context: Do We Try to…
By: Tim Clark on April 26, 2023
I once heard someone say that joy is one of the most punk rock attributes a person can have. That it rebels against the world’s system. That it is the ultimate alternative to the cynicism we are so easily sucked into. When I was reading Cascades by Greg Satell I couldn’t stop thinking about that…
By: Shonell Dillon on April 26, 2023
The Great Transformation As we sit back and watch the economy change from year to year, one can’t help but wonder what the driving force is. There is constant talk of recession and prices are soaring in every industry. Who or what controls these changes? Some of the answers may become evident in what Polanyi…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on April 26, 2023
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We Are Wrong about the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think is another amazing one of those resources shared on our reading list. Hans is Rosling, a Swedish physician, public speaker, and academician. When asked simple questions about global trends – what percentage of the world’s population lives…
By: Pam Lau on April 25, 2023
In 2001, I met with a small group of women in Newberg, Oregon for the single purpose of connection. Most of us had recently moved from across the country; one woman relocated from Russia. Another had been living in Newberg for more than a decade. Each week, huddled in a circle sipping coffee, one person…
By: Becca Hald on April 25, 2023
“Look Mommy, it’s a Hidden Mickey!” My daughter was no more than eight or nine at the time. She pointed to a knot in the wood on the table at the Hungry Bear Restaurant. I chose not to dash her imagination and tell her that it was not an intentional “Hidden Mickey,” it was just…
By: Shonell Dillon on April 25, 2023
Factfulness Eight out of ten of my clients may be working on changing negative thoughts during my weekly sessions. Their anxious feelings have overwhelmed them and taken over their thinking process. How did this happen? NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) says that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to these feelings of fear, worry,…
By: Chad McSwain on April 25, 2023
I am one of those people who can be inspired merely by the statistics. Which is the point that Hans Rolling is making with his seminal book, Factfulness[1]. It is a book all about challenging how we view the world through faulty perceptions that lead to wrong, pessimistic conclusions about the state we are in…
By: Becca Hald on April 25, 2023
Megachurch Introduces Frequent Tither Rewards Card “NASHVILLE, TN – In a bid to increase giving ahead of the organization’s upcoming $40 million sanctuary expansion, local megachurch LifeJourney Church announced Monday its new frequent tither rewards card, as part of a program designed to incentivize more regular giving to the church.”[1] The title is meant to…
By: Becca Hald on April 24, 2023
Vincent J. Miller depicts the commodification of religion in his book Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture. In a blog review of this book, pastor W. David O. Taylor writes, “The short version of his thesis is this: the problem with a so-called consumer culture does not, ultimately, lie at the…
By: Jennifer Vernam on April 24, 2023
It’s the end of the term and, like the rest of you, my brain is tired. When my brain is tired, I start to revert to what is familiar. So as I was reading Cascades[1] I found myself wanting to anchor the material to an area with which I am already familiar. I will take…
By: Travis Vaughn on April 24, 2023
In Cascades, Greg Satell argues that “power no longer resides at the top of hierarchies, but at the center of networks.”[1] Satell’s network dynamics include “small groups, loosely connected, but united by a common purpose.”[2] And if a leader needs “interconnectivity and interdependence”[3] to be effective, then perhaps this is at least part of the…
By: Laura Fleetwood on April 24, 2023
“Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” [1] This simple definition of leadership is how Northouse introduces his book by the same name, yet as this book proves, effective leadership is anything but simple. Leadership by Northouse is a comprehensive exploration of the theory and…
By: Daron George on April 24, 2023
Introduction: The relationship between religion and capitalism has been a subject of significant scholarly interest as researchers seek to understand how religious beliefs and practices intersect with economic and social systems. This blog will compare and contrast two important works that examine this relationship: “Consuming Religion” by Vincent J. Miller and Chapter 6 of “Evangelicalism…
By: Kim Sanford on April 24, 2023
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this book certainly paints an inspiring picture. It’s encouraging to think of leveraging the unseen networks all around us to bring real transformation. Using numerous real-life examples, Greg Satell explains how “small groups, loosely connected, but united by a common purpose… grow as the density…
By: Becca Hald on April 23, 2023
I stared at the paper blankly trying to think. The question should not have been a hard one. “Name three positive attributes.” I was at a psychiatrist office with my teenage son filling out paperwork to get services started. I had no trouble listing negative behaviors. Why did it take me so long to list…
By: Laura Fleetwood on April 23, 2023
Trauma is an urgent public health issue and one that Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has dedicated his career to addressing. In The Body Keeps the Score, van der Kolk describes his intent for this book “to serve as both a guide and an invitation—an invitation to dedicate ourselves to facing the reality of trauma,…
By: Laura Fleetwood on April 23, 2023
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King and The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield are two books that are essential reading for anyone who wants to become a better writer or to get the most out of their creative endeavors. Both…
By: Chad McSwain on April 23, 2023
Trauma is Prevalent “I think this man is suffering from memories.” This paraphrase of Sigmund Freud was used by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk upon hearing the story of the unique and misdiagnosed symptoms of a war veteran.[1] This quote is quite poignant when it comes to the conversations around trauma and its presence in…
