Back to the Basics: Practicing the Rhythms of God's Grace
“The gospel assures us that we are kept and held and secured in Christ (that is unchanging and forever), but these rhythms of grace help us to press all the more deeply into him—again and again and again. We don’t pursue deeper holiness through the spiritual disciplines in order to achieve or earn anything before God; rather we grow into richer knowledge of him by weaving these rhythms into the fabric of our lives. We will always (even in heaven!) be growing into deeper understanding of and love for God. And with the Spirit’s help, day by day we can work to grow in this knowledge of God by practicing the rhythms of God’s grace so that we might 1. love God more, 2. train ourselves for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7), and 3. teach, disciple, and grow alongside other brothers and sisters in the faith (Col. 3:16).” Back to the Basics: Practicing the Rhythms of God's Grace by Lauren Bowerman
Winter’s Cold Will End: The Promise of Spring
“There is beauty in the white snow covering every tree, home, and street. The peaceful silence it spreads across the earth points us to the peace of Christ. Yet, we would be remiss to pretend that winter’s dormancy doesn’t also point us to spiritual truths. When once-bright zinnias shrivel and brown in the first frost, we are reminded of death. When every leaf falls from the tree in our backyard, we see the effects of death. The reality of dying and decay is undeniable…” Winter’s Cold Will End: The Promise of Spring by Brittany Allen
Holy Interruptions: A Call to Love
“The Lord does not turn away from his people’s sin and suffering with irritation or disgust. Rather, he draws near the most aching, unattractive parts of us. As we revel in the compassionate love of Christ, we will increasingly reflect him—remembering our own reliance on God’s grace, bearing with others in their pain and weakness, and persisting in love when it’s not easy or convenient. As we lean on the Spirit for help to do this, we might ask ourselves, ‘How can I orient and structure my life in ways that are interruptible and available to the needs of others?’” Holy Interruptions: A Call to Love by Mallory Manning
The Sacred Invitation of Lent: How the Freedom to Lament Leads Us to Hope
“We are invited into deeper communion with Christ when we soberly observe the time leading up to Holy Week. The celebration of Resurrection Sunday is all the more joyful when we have intentionally denied our flesh of certain worldly desires, just as Jesus denied his flesh by willingly giving up his life on our behalf. So this is the sacred invitation of Lent: that we learn to grieve our sin and our brokenness; leaning into the gift of godly lament. Through this, may we be healed, and may he receive glory.” The Sacred Invitation of Lent: How the Freedom to Lament Leads Us to Hope by Ashley Setterlind
Called to Cultivate: How to Discern Your Calling
“Many of our moments and days feel achingly ordinary. We clean the house, steward finances, write emails, make dinner, build friendships, change a child’s diaper, and we do it over and over. But 1 Thessalonians 4:1 tells us it is good “to live quietly…and to work with your hands.” While there are women throughout history who have made dramatic impacts on society and on the world, there are millions of godly women who have lived quiet, faithful lives, diligently loving and serving their families and communities, executing their work with excellence. Their names might not be remembered on earth, but they have received a far better reward than earthly remembrance.” Called to Cultivate: How to Discern Your Calling by Chelsea Sobolik
Weathering the Weary Days of Winter
“For some of us, winter is a wearying time of year. It’s not just the cold wind rattling us to the bone, but also the dark mornings and evenings, the fears of driving in snowstorms or slipping in parking lots, the thoughts of the heating bills, and the snow days that steal away appointments, school, and daycare. Winter can be a reminder of all we are without, whether it’s a first winter without a loved one or a winter still without someone like a child or a spouse. As the snow packs around our houses, we feel closed in—both physically and emotionally. Winter can feel like many dark nights of the soul.” Weathering the Weary Days of Winter by Lara d’Entremont
Changing Our Heart Instead of Our Goals
“This season, I want to focus on changing my heart instead of chasing worldly goals. Yes, goals are a good and helpful tool, but Christ looks at the heart. What is our heart like? Are we moldable and able to conform to the Potter’s hands? Or is our heart hard like rock, unwilling to change?” Changing Our Heart Instead of Our Goals by Grace Thomas
The Liturgical Calendar: Orienting Yourself to Life in the Kingdom
“In the early centuries of the Church, the discipline of observing the liturgical year was developed to teach God’s people how to locate themselves in proximity to Christ and his Kingdom. Each year, observing the liturgical calendar allows us to enter the beautiful narrative of God’s work in and through his people, Jesus’s earthly life, and the Holy Spirit’s past and current work through the Church. This annual excursion through God’s big story is designed to teach us how to make Christ the central figure in our own stories.” The Liturgical Calendar: Orienting Yourself to Life in the Kingdom by Danielle Hitchen
Look Forward, Because He Promised
“If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to have your gaze focused on today—on what needs to be done, on what isn’t going to get done. And when we lift our eyes to look to tomorrow, or next year, or next decade, our sight can be filled with the worries prompted by future uncertainties. Our looking forward can so easily be filled with anxiety rather than anticipation. But by faith in Christ we are God’s people. And God’s people have always been, and still are, a people who can look forward to what has been promised.” Look Forward, Because He Promised by Carl Laferton
When God Feels Unsafe
“As a long time believer and as a lay counselor, I have seen myself and others go through seasons where God feels more like a severe taskmaster than the compassionate Father he actually is. We default to either meeting with him to appease him or avoiding him—either because we are afraid of failure or because he seems dissociated from our reality. I want to share with you 3 practices that God can use to comfort you with his safety in those seasons.” When God Feels Unsafe by Aylin Merck
Where Can We Find Rest for Our Souls?
“Over the years I have earned the self-given title “Queen of late-night problem solving.”This is not a title I’ve loved, because it often comes at the expense of several hours of sleep. No trouble is too small to merit spending a good chunk of my resting hours turning a problem over and over in my mind until the perfect solution (or the proper amount of self loathing) appears. Have you been there?” Where Can We Find Rest for Our Souls? by Elizabeth Santelmann
Church Member, How Can You Protect Your Pastor from Burnout?
“I've been an ordained minister for nearly 15 years, which means I have now officially beat the odds of longevity for pastors. I've joyfully served my current church for the past 2.5 years, and I honestly hope to retire here. But that's not the case for everyone. Not even close. So, I want to encourage you. As a congregation member, you have a vital (and remarkably simple) role to play in pastoral burnout. How does this look, and how can you help your pastor?” Church Member, How Can You Protect Your Pastor from Burnout? by Chris Ammen
Placed for a Purpose: Ministering in your Everyday Context
“There’s a non-urgent—still very important—desire in each of us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. At times it feels more awkward than intuitive, but it’s coded into us all the same: our calling to engage in God’s mission and love our neighbors (even our next-door neighbors!). Jesus woos us to participate in his kingdom work, to see his renewal, restoration, hope and healing come to our communities. Even if we try to ignore this missional invitation for fear of what it might cost us, we can’t help but see needs around us for neighborhood peacemaking and mercy-extending. Deep down we want to make a difference in our corners of the world because Jesus has made a difference in ours.” Placed for a Purpose: Ministering in your Everyday Context by Elizabeth McKinney
In the Wake of Church Hurt…You Need the Church
“I hope our church will be a place where you guys can heal.” The gentle words of our new pastor fell upon my heart like a soft blanket, adding a little comfort to a time of suffering. For the first time in months, I began to hope for a future with a new church. An inkling of belief that we might find community again lit up in my heart. But my fear of getting hurt—no, more than that, trampled—by those called to shepherd me remained a close companion. Spiritual abuse is destructive, its scars long-lasting.” In the Wake of Church Hurt…You Need the Church by Brittany Allen
How to Bear Burdens Without Being Crushed
“Galatians 6:2 commands believers to “bear one another’s burdens.” But how, practically, can we bear the burdens of others without being crushed by them? Over the years, I’ve had to learn to distinguish between what is my responsibility and what is the responsibility of another person. While I am responsible to others as a sister in Christ, I am not responsible for them. I am not someone’s Savior, Holy Spirit, or parent, and I do not need to function as though these are my roles. As you consider how to bear burdens without being buried by them, here are three lessons I’ve learned the hard way.” How to Bear Burdens Without Being Crushed by Ashley Chesnut
How Can You Comfort Others Amidst Your Own Pain?
“Comfort is meant to be transactional. Just like the gospel isn’t meant to stop with us, the comfort of Christ is meant to be poured into us and then through us. The problem, however, is that it’s awfully tempting to sit and wait until we feel better before we’re willing to step into the mess of other people’s lives. And when we do, we miss out on the beautiful reality that the comfort of Christ often comes as we speak the truth of God’s comfort out loud to others and spur one another on.” How Can You Comfort Others Amidst Your Own Pain? by Sarah Walton
Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength
““Shame on you!” I heard this phrase many times growing up in the 80s. It became a common way for adults to address children’s misbehavior. But what weight do these words actually carry? Shame. On you. Despite hearing the word “shame” frequently, I lived many years without understanding what it really was and how it impacted me. Now as a mom and a pastor’s wife, I want to be able to spot shame and its harmful effects in and around me. I want to link arms with other women as we “put off” shame as part of the old self and instead “put on” the freedom, joy, and security that Jesus has for us (Eph. 4:22–24)! ” Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength by Myra Dempsey
How to Minister From a Place of Loneliness
“For me, ministering in a season of acute isolation feels like the cabin pressure dropped, the oxygen masks came down, and I’m fumbling to help others while I’m struggling to stay conscious. Maybe you’re a mom, experiencing deep loneliness with children to care for. Or maybe you’re wrestling with grief and loss but trying to love your church well. Perhaps you’re starting over in a new place or stepping out in faith to do something the Lord has led you to do and you’re feeling lonely. Sisters, the Lord sees you and desires to meet you in your loneliness.” How to Minister From a Place of Loneliness by Bev Chao Burrus
How Our Theology Fuels Our Ministry
“Ministry can be really hard; from serving in the nursery to groundskeeping to singing and preaching, you might experience a lack of gratitude and/or criticism. The music is too loud, the nursery is too small, the sermon is too long. Complaints, lack of gratitude, and difficult conditions all make serving less than desirable at times. Why continue to serve in exhaustion or annoyance from the demands and criticisms of ministry if we don’t know the God we serve?” How Our Theology Fuels Our Ministry by Kelly Ottoway
What is Success?
“In our modern society where everything is measured, the way we who are in ministry calculate success is often with numbers. Attendees. Members. Converts. Readers. Listeners. How many lives have we touched and changed? For better or worse, in the 21st century, it’s all about numbers. The ever-present and unspoken question behind our numbers fixation is, “Am I making a difference?” We wonder if we’re having an impact, if we’re serving the Lord the right way, if our efforts really matter. Ministry is tough. It’s not unreasonable for us to want to know if our sacrifices are leading to any kind of measurable success.” What is Success? by Jen Oshman