By Rev. Jerry Chiles In March 2020 we lifted our voices to heaven crying, “God help us! Deliver us from this pandemic called Covid-19.” At that point in time, we had no idea what would be the extent of the pandemic. Over and over, we cried out to God to deliver us. When relief did […]
This week I found the file for the first workshop I led on communication, complete with acetate overhead sheets, from 25 years ago! It is interesting to note changes. There was no mention of internet, email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, or any form of social media. There was no discussion of cultural bias, gender identity, or
By Dr. Paul Raybon One of my favorite boyhood jokes goes like this: The Lone Ranger and Tonto were surrounded by an Indian war party; they sent their horses Silver and Scout away to safety, and now were down to their last bullets. The Lone Ranger turns to Tonto and says “I don’t think we’re
by Larry Glover-Wetherington I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they
Intercession – The Church’s Power for Ministry Read More »
by Larry Glover-Wetherington The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:1-2). The Greek word for “pray” here means to ask, beseech, plead, implore, make request, pray with a sense of urgency. It is in the middle voice,
Prayer – Christ’s Intention for the Church Read More »
By John Daniels I recently wrote an article describing some of the ways the pandemic is changing the way we do church. I concluded the article with the trust lessons I have both learned and continue to learn. I was reminded of my first team building experience with a trust fall. I was the first
Trusting in a New Day Read More »
By John Daniels Mid-March rocked my world. We closed the church office for what we thought was a multiple week pause only to discover that a few weeks would turn into months. Things are different! “How can we continue to do the business of the church?” became the question that needed an immediate answer. Months later I realize
Learning in a New Day Read More »
By Rev. Jerry Chiles I have survived so far in this COVID-19 pandemic. I think I’m OK, but have some bumps and bruises. I find myself not knowing what comes next. I hear about lawsuits to allow churches to reopen, and I listened to the health experts who are very cautious. What do I do?
I Don’t Know What to Do Read More »
By Rev. Jerry Chiles You might be asking yourself, “Why am I here at this junction of history? Why am I having to go through this crisis? I am exhausted. God why are you doing this to us?” God is not the one who is doing this to us. Is God present in this crisis? Yes!
In the Middle of the Crisis Read More »
Pre-pandemic, I wrote my article about recruiting lay leadership, “It Gets Harder Every Year.” And we thought we had problems then! Here are some thoughts about recruitment during the pandemic and post-pandemic. What we know: People are staying home. Or, they are at least staying-in-place, which could mean with a relative or in a vacation
Recruitment During and After the Pandemic Read More »
