With the megachurch movement alive and well—and forecast to see even bigger growth—it is easy to get enthralled with numbers in church life. Namely, the bigger we are, the better. I have discovered that isn’t always the case. Case in point was the recent monthly worship gathering of an interdenominational group that sponsors regular spiritual…
Read more
The recent marital separation of bestselling author Joshua Harris — whose 1997 book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, propelled him to national fame—didn’t raise too many eyebrows. Sadly, divorce is too common in our world to cause a kerfuffle. However, when Harris followed soon after with an announcement that he was walking away from his faith…
Read more
Two more crimes were committed last week in full view of millions of Americans. Yet no one will be arrested or charged with any violations. I refer to the latest round of Democratic presidential debates, which began in late June—more than 16 months ahead of the 2020 election. I know I’m not the only one…
Read more
The world recently marked the 50-year anniversary of the first moon walk by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. For me, it was also a major event, for two reasons. First was the trip down Memory Lane. Armstrong hailed from Wapakoneta, Ohio, just 15 miles south of my hometown of Lima. At the time, a…
Read more
Nearly three years ago, our city of Huntington, West Virginia made national headlines after 26 people overdosed on fentanyl-laced heroin in one afternoon. Given the negative image that accrued from such notice, it was heartening to see a mid-June follow-up report on 60 Minutes. It spotlighted the efforts since that have registered significant progress in…
Read more
With our church in the process of launching small groups as a way of building more community on our congregation, I’ve been thinking lately about the need for such closeness. In his sermon about this initiative, our pastor read from Acts 2:42-47, the classic case study for authentic church growth. Especially the last two verses…
Read more
Earlier this year, when gas mysteriously rose toward the three-dollar-per-gallon level, I grumbled a little. That is, until I remembered that it hasn’t been that many years since I figured petrol would never dip below the three-dollar-level again. Then it started dipping, followed by most welcome news a month ago that prices were set to…
Read more
We’re just one week away from the Fourth of July and our nation’s 243rd birthday. I admit it: I’m an old softie when it comes to celebrating the United States of America and what it has meant to the world. That said, I was never a fan of such slogans as “America: Love it or…
Read more
The recent flood of news stories, telecasts, and video clips tied to the 75th anniversary of the invasion at Normandy stirred up many personal memories. One concerned a man I used to work with as an associate. Later, he served as the communications contact for several of my freelance assignments. About 15 years ago, he…
Read more
Since I’m heavily involved in the church we attend, I don’t often get a chance to visit other congregations. However, an opportunity arose June 2 when I accompanied an author to the church where he once had been an elder and active for 20-plus years for a book signing. While I didn’t have a role…
Read more
