Approval
All of us were created to be known. We have an inborn desire to be seen and celebrated. We want to be part of something larger than...
Truth
Veritas is a place for a postmodern generation to seek truth. This emerging faith community in the art district of Lancaster (Pa.) gives...
A Fruitful Tree
After 180 years, Washington Boro (Pa.) Church of God is like an old apple tree. The church has matured over the decades. It is deeply...
Alignment
Like vehicles, churches can get out of alignment. When a clear sense of mission is blurred by “the way we’ve always done it,” moving...
A Place to Mend
Seven years ago, Anthony Martin was released from a missions assignment in Jamaica. He felt a call to vocational ministry, but this...
Investment
In six years, Bethlehem Community Fellowship (BCF) grew from a dozen to nearly ninety people. When asked about this remarkable story of...
Free Fall
In the extreme sport of skydiving, exhilaration (or terror) is increased in free fall—the time, however long, before skydivers deploy...
Learning Curve
The phrase “learning curve” describes the rate of progress in gaining new skills or experience. As with most endeavors, it is good for a...
Patience
I went to a church conference this week in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The purpose of many of the insight sessions centered around ways to...
Ideas
Pastor Tim Bistline’s calling card identifies him as an “idea guy.” He is building on this strength to revitalize the long-established...
Mentors
Instinctively, most animals raise their offspring with careful guidance. For humans, this involves an extended time of parenting. In...
Rooting for the Underdog
At a time when church attenders are migrating to larger churches, smaller churches (and their pastors) can languish from neglect. If you...
Getting in Shape
As Christ-followers, we are called to holy living. The problem is that we want to do one thing and, too often, we do another (Rom. 7:15)....
Excess Baggage
When we have been hurt, our emotional reactions do not dissipate quickly. We may be troubled by painful memories, wrestle with guilt, or...
Micro-mission
Montoursville (Pa.) BIC wants to serve broken and neglected people. As a smaller church, they excel in caring for one another. But how,...
