By: Travis Biglow on June 21, 2017
Pastor Travis E. Biglow Travis Evan Biglow of Victorville California is the pastor and founder of Victory Empowerment Center Church of God in Christ in the city of Hesperia California. He also serves as the High Desert Regional Center Chaplain for Azusa Pacific University in Victorville California. Educationally he has an AA degree in Liberal…
By: Dave Young on June 21, 2017
David Young grew up in New Jersey, close to NYC; while he’s since shed the northeast accent (with the exception of a few words) he’s still proud to be a Giants fan – informing the uninformed that they’re actually a NJ team. He grew up literally next door to church and his dad was the…
By: Dawnel Volzke on June 21, 2017
Dawnel Volzke is a Christ follower, wife, mom, teacher, student, and professional…her passion is to serve Christ and her calling is to help organizations become great at fulfilling their mission. She lives in Granville, Ohio with her husband and two children, Jessica (21) and Christopher (16). Dawnel has served in various roles over 20 years, including technology, marketing, and…
By: Brian Yost on June 21, 2017
Brian Yost is a 46 year old devoted husband and father of three. He has had the privilege of being a disciple of Jesus Christ since 1983. Since that time, God has led Brian on many adventures and he has never looked back.
By: Jon Spellman on June 21, 2017
Jon Spellman’s love for Jesus and his church was forged very early in life. His earliest memories are of ministering in music in the local church setting as well as “on the road” traveling the length and breadth of the United States as drummer and singer with the “Spellman Family Singers.” During the late 1970’s…
By: Mary Pandiani on June 21, 2017
Mary, a JIB (Jesus-Image-Bearer), seeks to see all life through the lens of “learn[ing] the unforced rhythms of grace” as she walks with the Triune God. Whether strolling through the woods across the street with her English Springer Spaniel, cycling for a 100 miler to support World Bicycle Relief, teaching classes for a high school…
By: Ashley Goad on June 21, 2017
How often are we called to reflect upon two years of our lives? And how can you possibly put those thoughts into 1,000 words or less? One particular way comes to mind. I hereby give you the “Top Lessons I Learned in DMINLGP”.
By: Bill Dobrenen on June 21, 2017
Year-in-Review Story – Summer 2015 Introduction Today I sat with a Native elder named Leonard Little Finger for six hours on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Leonard is highly educated and worked as a hospital administrator and teacher for the past 55 years. We talked about leadership. We talked about language. We talked about…
By: Liz Linssen on June 21, 2017
Chartering the Waters of a Doctorate of Ministry Three years ago I felt the Lord impress on me the need to do a Doctorate of Ministry course, something I had not at all expected to pursue. So began my quest to find a quality course that fulfilled the following personal criteria: A college with a…
By: Carol McLaughlin on June 21, 2017
The best stories are the ones we like to hear again and again, the ones we read every year or watch on our DVD players on rainy days. Stories so compelling, so inviting that their familiarity prepares you for surprise, nuance and fresh discovery. Key characters in these stories always seem to face a test…
By: rhbaker275 on June 21, 2017
Leadership Global Perspective: Impacting the Ministry of the Local Church In June, 2013, I engaged in a global forum on the theology and practice of biblical reconciliation. There were church leaders present from sixty-six countries which gave the conference an authentic venue to dialogue concerning the problems facing the church worldwide. The forum considered how…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on June 21, 2017
It does not seem that long ago when I sat in an entirely empty house doing my first online chat that fateful day of September 2013. We had just bought our first home in Florida after transplanting to the Sunshine state the previous summer. We had fully moved all of our belongings the week before. Due to…
By: John Woodward on June 21, 2017
What had I gotten myself into? I must have been crazy to think I could do a doctoral program. What was I thinking? Now two years into the program, I am actually within reach of a doctorate degree. How was it even possible to achieve this longed held dreamed?
By: Dave Young on June 21, 2017
I brought a frustrating issue into the program that surfaced early and almost derailed me. My starting perspective was “this program is great – it will push me to grow professionally!” Like most mid-career pastors, I had lost ministry passion and focus. However, from the beginning of the program, I was asked about what I…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on June 21, 2017
Seeing, Hearing, and Conceiving 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”[d] 10 But[e] it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep…
By: Nick Martineau on June 21, 2017
I knew that starting the LGP program would be life changing but I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew going back to school meant reading more books, writing papers, and having teachers issue grades. However, I was surprised to find out just how personable and accessible all the advisors and lead mentor have…
By: Jon Spellman on June 21, 2017
“Big fish, little pond” is the phrase that comes to mind as I reflect on this first year’s learning alongside my cohort. At the risk of sounding like I have an overactive ego or hyper sized sense of self-importance, due to the environments I’ve always placed myself in, I’ve grown accustomed to being the smartest…
By: Travis Biglow on June 21, 2017
Year-in-Review Story The first real surprise that I had was being able to attend George Fox. Up to the last minute I did not know whether it was going to happen. My wife kept showing me pictures of South Africa and I really did not want to be disappointed if I was not able to…
By: Claire Appiah on June 20, 2017
Mark Mathabane—Kaffir Boy an Autobiography: The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa Introduction In this raw and captivating autobiography, Mark Mathabane, utilizes the imaginative creativity of his journalistic skills to depict the poignancy and triumphs of his first eighteen years of life under South Africa’s apartheid system. He…
By: Chip Stapleton on June 16, 2017
I read our assigned reading for this week, Christianity and African Traditions by Matthew Michael, with quite a bit of interest. The church I currently serve is about 50% Cameroonian, and as such, I often – on a weekly, sometimes even daily basis – see and try to account for and understand the intersection of our…
