By: rhbaker275 on April 11, 2015
In July of 2012, the Evangelical Alliance in the UK (United Kingdom) released the fourth in a series of survey documents on “21st Century Evangelicals: A Snapshot of the Beliefs and Habits of Evangelical Christians in the UK.” The focus of the fourth survey was on the question, “The World on our doorstep? Are we…
By: Michael Badriaki on April 11, 2015
Lewis, Donald M. and Richard V. Pierard’s book Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History, and Culture in Regional Perspective, provides an impressive and detailed account of modern global evangelicalism. The authors explain the historical, cultural and theologically complexities of the evangelical movement. The volume is divided up into three major sections. According to the authorship: The…
By: Stefania Tarasut on April 10, 2015
I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the Gospel and what it means to be lived out. As I look around my community I notice more and more that we’ve lost the simplicity, the purity, the joy and the power that comes through building our lives on the Gospel. We’ve complicated things so…
By: Julie Dodge on April 10, 2015
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on April 10, 2015
I have found the topic of globalization fascinating. Why? Because globalization has many effects, but one of the most important is the dramatic increase in the opportunity and need to interact with people who are culturally different from ourselves.[1] With me writing, or will soon be writing, a dissertation about cultural intelligence and the need for…
By: Richard Volzke on April 10, 2015
Reading Lewis and Pierard’s book, Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History and Culture in Regional Perspective, reminded me of the training I received as a missionary. I was involved in a project to translate outreach and training materials into the native language of the countries that the mission was working in. The project was being implemented on…
By: Liz Linssen on April 9, 2015
Prior to emigrating to South Korea, I had very little opportunity to gain ministry experience. Although I had studied Theology up to Master’s level, my opportunities for ministry remained limited to what they were prior to ministry training: helping to lead worship and teaching children the Scriptures. As much as I enjoyed these opportunities for…
By: Deve Persad on April 9, 2015
The teaching of math has been a source of frustration for me over the course of this year; well it’s probably been growing for the last few years, but this year it seems almost inescapable. Teachers are telling students to memorize and to download apps in order to solve equations. They are not challenging students…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on April 9, 2015
Church division is a challenge among Evangelicals in Ethiopia in general and Ethiopian churches in the States in particular. There are three main reasons for church splits in Ethiopian churches, theological differences, lack of critical self-reflection, and competitive leadership. One theological difference is in how Christians participate in their communities’ socio-cultural and political life. It…
By: Bill Dobrenen on April 8, 2015
I am not praying only for these men but for all those who will believe in me through their message, that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, live in me and I live in you, I am asking that they may live in us, that the world may believe that you did…
By: John Woodward on April 8, 2015
Globalization is a hot topic. It is also a topic that is defies easy definition, much like the term “evangelical,” because globalization may be viewed from a number of perspectives (economic, cultural, political). Further, globalization carries a great deal of historical baggage, being associated with colonialism and imperialism. The authors of Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History…
By: Ashley Goad on April 4, 2015
Have you seen the George Clooney flick, “Up in the Air”? Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, who flies around the country firing people. He loves his job and is constantly in the air flying from one city to another. He’s also an accumulator of frequent flyer miles and has a goal of achieving the…
By: rhbaker275 on March 21, 2015
Our pastor cluster met today; the cluster is eight to ten pastors who gather together once a month to share ministry, encourage and support one another and to pray together. It is an all-day experience from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A highlight is reading and discussing a book every two months. Today, we completed…
By: Julie Dodge on March 20, 2015
There is a tension in our lives following Christ between living by faith and doing good works. In our lives, we are called to be obedient, and to love as Christ would. This requires action. It is the long debated challenge of James: “But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without…
By: John Woodward on March 20, 2015
Bottom line: Most Christian leaders need a deeper, more vital relationship with God. What most church leaders will admit is that they just don’t have time in their busy schedule to cultivate this deeper connection with God. This results in burn out, sin and emptiness, which eventually leads to the very same place that the…
By: Bill Dobrenen on March 20, 2015
I have often wondered how certain people have found their way into leadership positions, especially into ministry leadership positions. If “the cream always rises to the top,” then why does that not always seem to be the case in leadership situations? At least in my own experience it seems that sometimes just the opposite has…
By: Miriam Mendez on March 20, 2015
When I think of the word, “isolation” I cannot help but think of the word “solitude” as well. Although these words are synonymous, each of these words conjures up something different for me. Isolation seems to represent rejection or a detachment and separation from something or someone. While the word solitude, seems to represent a…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on March 20, 2015
Reading Shelley Trebesch’s book, Isolation: A place of Transformation in the life of a leader is refreshing. Using various case studies and biblical and historical examples, the author describes the cruciality of “isolation experiences” for ministry leaders’ inward transformation. Trebesch cites Clinton’s definition: “Isolation is the setting aside of a leader from normal ministry involvement…
By: Michael Badriaki on March 20, 2015
When I decided to pursue further studies, I was excited about the adventure, but I was also on the lookout for the possible signs of isolation. This is because a friend had told me about how isolating doctoral studies can tend to be. Research also shows that isolation remains a prime factor as to why…
By: Richard Volzke on March 20, 2015
In her book, Isolation: A place of Transformation in the Life of A Leader, Trebesch explores why Christian leaders tend to enter into periods of isolation. The author suggests, that while these periods of isolation are painful, they are profitable and helpful to an individual’s ministry. It is during these times that a pastor will…
