Articles for tag: Volunteering

December 9, 2016

I Could Totally/Never Do That!

By Jennifer Johnson Two mistakes are easy to make when reading B.J. Leonard“s story. The first is to think you could never do what he did””give up your dream house in the suburbs to move into the inner city with your wife and three young kids. The second is to believe you could totally do what he did because you”ve romanticized it as a sequel to The Blind Side. B.J., his wife, Mary, and his daughters aren”t reaching out to urban Decatur, IL, because it”s easy, but they”re also not doing it to experience the warm fuzzy feelings of “saving”

November 3, 2016

Michael C. Mack

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

National Diabetes Month

By Michael C. Mack November is National Diabetes Month in the United States. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the population, had diabetes. Here are a few ideas for your church or group: “¢ Host a family diabetes gathering. Invite a local representative from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or a diabetes educator to speak and answer questions. Provide a healthy meal. “¢ Provide information about diabetes, which can be found on the ADA website, www.diabetes.org, or from a local office or a local endocrinology office. Help clear up many of the common myths about diabetes. “¢

July 14, 2016

Christian Standard

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

From the Mess to a Message of Hope

By Dave Stone Lindsay Knight remembers the hopelessness. It stalked her as a college student, when she had seen too much and been loved too little. It was in the back of her mind as she chased self-worth in being pretty, thin, a good athlete, popular, and successful. After a long string of abusive, destructive relationships left her homeless, alone, and broke, she took the one “yes” she found””to work at a local strip club. It didn”t take long for her to see life at the club wasn”t so glamorous””she didn”t make a lot of money and she didn”t like

June 19, 2016

Christian Standard

Culture & Public Square Reconciliation

Love Is the Universal Language

By Becky Ahlberg The problem with discussions about race relations is that we too often start with the differences and not the things we have in common. It”s easy to make hasty generalizations and base our thinking on stereotypes or other people”s experiences. Depending on where you live, you may not encounter many people who are different from you, and it can be difficult to make a fair and objective assessment of them. Let me give you an example. In Anaheim, California, where I live, we have one of the most diverse populations in the country. More than 50 different

May 17, 2009

Bill Tennison

Church & Ministry

Dispelling the Myths

Bill Tennison challenges common myths about senior adult ministry, showing how older adults can serve meaningfully and how life transitions create opportunities for evangelism.

December 2, 2007

Gary Weedman

Christian Living

Older and Wiser: Strutting or Striving7

Gary Weedman encourages senior Christians to view retirement as an opportunity for continued service, following Paul’s example of leaving the past behind and pressing toward what lies ahead.

June 11, 2006

Nancy Karpenske

Church & Ministry Church Staff

The Risk of Staying Put–Thirty Years in One Congregation

After decades in the same congregation, Nancy Karpenske weighs the risks of getting too comfortable against the rewards of credibility, perseverance, and long-term spiritual fruit—learning again and again to depend on God, not experience.