As the holiday season approaches, church leaders face heightened stress while preparing meaningful celebrations and making meaningful connections. Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff encourages church leaders to nurture spiritual connections, foster relationships with neighbors and guests, and actively invite people to engage in worship and ministry. Transform the season into an opportunity for deepened faith and community outreach.
Conservative Christians 'grieve' Gaetz nomination, express frustration with leaders' silence
Critics include a founder of the conservative legal group Liberty Counsel and Boz Tchividjian, grandson of famed evangelist Billy Graham.
Donald Trump's negative influence is having a baleful effect upon Christians and Christian leaders in the United States and will further damage their witness in North America and beyond. Americans also deserve to have men and women of high ethical and moral caliber in public office.Teachers Union Lashes Out At ‘Unqualified’ Linda McMahon As Education Pick
A powerful teachers union has said Donald Trump “could not care less” about students after picking Linda McMahon for education secretary. The professional wrestling mogul, who led the Small Business Administration for two years during Trump’s first term, will be tasked with pushing through the president-elect’s hardline views of the Department of Education if she is confirmed.
Dismantling the Department of Education will put disabled, poor, and homeless children at risk, do nothing to improve the quality of education for a broad swath of the population, and will seriously weaken the nation.Medicaid cuts in crosshairs as Trump, GOP take control
Significant cuts to Medicaid could be on the table next Congress as President-elect Trump and Republicans look for ways to offset tax cuts and streamline government spending. Republicans on Capitol Hill don’t seem thrilled with the idea, but aren’t rejecting it outright.
The incoming Trump administration represents a serious threat to health care for low income and lower middle income families.Who Is Speaking Up for the Unborn?
Trump’s return to his long-standing pro-choice position was likely inevitable. Sometime during this year, he made the (apparently correct) assumption that he could be openly pro-abortion and yet many pro-life voters would cast their ballot for him anyway since the Democrats were even more extreme on abortion. What’s surprising, though, is the concerted lack of response by those committed to opposing abortion, especially from some of America’s most prominent pro-life organizations.
Many Americans Are More Consumers Than Contented
Most Americans have a mix of values, but around 3 in 10 are closer to either extreme—either prolific consumers or truly content.
4 Subtle Signs of Toxic Positivity in the Church
Pastors and ministry leaders might be familiar with the term “toxic positivity” or have seen it firsthand. It’s called “toxic” for a reason, but there’s more to this term than meets the eye. There could be a stealthy set of spiritual beliefs that are influencing this behavior.
5 Ways to Reach New People by Singing More Christmas Music during Advent
How can congregations reach new people by singing Christmas carols during Advent? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center Staff shares five ways to sing more Christmas carols during Advent to share the light of Christ with your community and build relationships by singing with your neighbors.
Media Producers: You Can Avoid the Church Nightmare Before Christmas
...here are a few tips from the Cooke Media Group archives as well as a teaching I’ve done on YouTube to make this Christmas season a little more jolly....
How Often Should You Provide Training for Group Leaders?
There’s a sweet spot when it comes to the frequency of providing training for your group leaders, and it may be surprising.
Small Groups in the Holidays – 5 Ways Forward
We all know that with the holidays approaching, our schedules get very busy – for everyone. However, we shouldn’t let the busy-ness stop our Small Groups from fulfilling our purposes. If we’re intentional, Thanksgiving through December can be a time full of meaningful celebrations, worship, service, learning, and outreach. (Here)...are five ways how small groups in the holidays can fulfill their purpose, despite busy schedules....
The Messages We Receive
Messages about who we are—our identity—are powerful. They can shape how we see ourselves, how we see the world, and how we see God. It is a matter that regularly comes up in counseling conversations. When people have hard experiences in their lives or have been mistreated by others, it always proves valuable to explore what messages those experiences have communicated about who they are.
What Is My Spiritual Gift? Maybe You’re Asking the Wrong Question
Many people agonize over finding their spiritual gift. The Bible, by contrast, emphasizes not self-discovery but loving service. The anxiety about discovering “my” spiritual gift fades entirely when we focus on what we can do to help build up the body of Christ.
The Secret Power of Kindness
Imagine a world where everyone is kind to one another. Don’t we all agree that the world needs more kindness? Not only does the world need more kindness, but the world would be a better place if we each displayed kindness in our daily lives.
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