By: Andy Hale on January 18, 2023
“That’s insane. Why not start another worship service within the church you are currently serving,” the coach asked me. I had been going through a year of discernment, telling two churches “No, thank you” after they offered for me to serve as their senior pastor, and had been approached by two other couples in the…
By: Denise Johnson on January 17, 2023
The last two and a half years of leadership reading, and discovery got me asking these questions, what is the purpose of the church, and are we fulfilling our missional purpose. I have observed a number of churches with cute catch phrases, and mission statements. But are those expressions of cleaver branding or God’s desired…
By: Scott Dickie on January 17, 2023
Tom Camacho is clearly passionate about developing leaders—you can ‘feel’ his passion for the topic throughout the pages of his book, Mining For Gold. Here are some of my thoughts about a few of his points: Points I Appreciate (Or a few specific ones among many): • I appreciate his vision to develop people—whether ‘lay…
By: Henry Gwani on January 17, 2023
Mining for Gold discusses leadership development through coaching. Specifically, coaching that integrates biblical principles with identity, purpose and strengths. The book is divided into two parts comprising of six chapters each. The first part focuses on the process of discovering God’s gift in one’s life, and the second part on refining or developing the gift. To…
By: Esther Edwards on January 17, 2023
Comacho has taken a brilliant approach in weaving the analogy of gold refinement and applying it to the realm of coaching for Kingdom leadership development. The idea of refining, becoming, and empowering drew me as a teenager to Job 23:10. I memorized it and often quoted it to myself through the years. Though I was…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on January 16, 2023
As a child I always loved a good adventure. I would often reenact “Little House on the Prairie” (1)scenes outside discovering new unfound places and things. One of these adventures was to find gold or other gems that would make us rich so all our problems would disappear. Armed with a sifter and a shovel…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on January 16, 2023
So often in the new year we make New Year’s resolutions, convinced that this new year will be the year that we will overcome all our vices and change the way we live… because we are motivated this year. “We will do it this year!” Then life happens and we fail for the first time,…
By: Greg McMullen on January 16, 2023
I enjoyed reading Tom Comacho, Mining for Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders. [1] However Dr. Clark challenged to not hold back anymore, “to have more confidence with my anointing and prophetic gifting, for some reason I seem to hold back” I gave him some lame excuses and blamed some things on Covid and how I don’t…
By: Cathy Glei on January 16, 2023
“We are called as leaders to mine for the gold in others, cooperate with God as he refines that gold and then help them invest that gold in the kingdom.” (Camacho 2019, 4) God has prepared a gold mine, the treasure of His image in every human being. It is incredibly humbling to consider that…
By: David Beavis on January 15, 2023
Youth ministry was not the career path I desired. Though pastoring has been the dream since I was 18 years old, I rarely saw myself as a youth pastor. A senior pastor? Absolutely. Youth pastor? In the words of Moses, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” To my surprise, I have served in…
By: Laura Fleetwood on January 14, 2023
I felt it early, even as a child. The bone deep desire for something more. Do the right thing. Get the good grades. Don’t cause waves. Control is my addiction and approval my vice. I am chasing, always chasing. Trying. Yearning. Wanting. Numbing. I live in bondage…to myself. The fatal flaw of humanity is a…
By: Jana Dluehosh on January 13, 2023
“When the going gets rough, turn to inquiry and wonder”, is a guideline taught by Parker Palmer as one of many guidelines that promote a “circle of trust.”[1]. Trust is an important word for most of us. As I reflect on myself and this journey into the Doctorate world, I recognize the layers of trust…
By: Chad McSwain on January 13, 2023
It is with great delight that the authors of The Molecule of More deliver on their promise of revealing how a single chemical “will determine the fate of the human race.”[1] This single chemical is dopamine and it is getting its fair share of the attention in the media and popular works, and rightfully so,…
By: Noel Liemam on January 13, 2023
To start, I would say that these readings help me to gather my thoughts and to point me in the direction that I needed to go. In gathering myself to start this blogging is like trying to start a car with dead battery, but anyway I guess if I just start writing something I might…
By: Todd E Henley on January 13, 2023
Without critical thinking, how can we really live a meaningful life? We need this skill to self-reflect and justify our ways of life and opinions. Critical thinking provides us with the tools to evaluate ourselves in the way that we need to. Over the years I have done well at taking apart my life to…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on January 13, 2023
I made a declaration on Tuesday morning, during incredible physical pain from new formed gallstones, that I’m DONE with hard things. I am not doing anything else that is hard for at least 6 months. I am only doing things, experiencing people, feeling emotions, sharing words, and listening in ways that are easy for me…
By: Kally Elliott on January 13, 2023
In middle school I wrote horrible lovesick poetry to boyfriends. In high school I spent late nights in the laundry room pecking away at my dad’s computer composing essays for my Honor’s Lit class. In college I received an A- on an essay on religious freedom. A few weeks later my would-be husband had to…
By: Jennifer Vernam on January 13, 2023
Over my lifetime, I can chart on my shelf the books that have given me inspiration, companionship and even healing. In years past, reading for me has been a refuge. As an adult I have discovered that I also enjoy writing, especially the process of editing. I find it immensely satisfying develop a text into…
By: Cathy Glei on January 13, 2023
As I type this post, what is most prevalent in my mind is “I hope I am writing this blog post correctly?” (Slight panic, just being honest). Some of you may relate. While trying something new is difficult, I am reminded of a quote, “Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on January 13, 2023
Lieberman and Long’s book the Molecule of More, how a single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity and will Determine the Fate of humans be a very interesting book that I will surely keep on the very important reading materials. Dopamine “the pleasure molecule,” as dubbed by scientists in 1997 after Katheleen…
