Community

The Beauty of the Gospel in the Matters of the Heart

We see evidence all throughout Scripture that Jesus was deeply concerned with the matters of the heart. When we take a look at the life and ministry of Christ, we discover a man who saw people in their circumstances—stepping not only into their physical realities, but also their spiritual ones. 

Riding the Waves of Transition

Transitions can be hard, especially those that aren’t expected. But even for the ones we long for, there are still lessons to learn, emotions to sort out and most of all, places where we can meet with the Lord.   I had always wanted to be married. In my mid 20s,

Am I Practicing an Integrated Faith?

After the George Floyd video hit the internet, racial tensions in the U.S. began to rise—and the Body of Christ was not excluded from this tension. People from all sides voiced their opinions, and as a Christian Black man, I found myself in many conversations about race and racism within

The Cost of Community

During my staff team’s first get-together before the new school year, I felt impassioned by the Spirit to share about how crucial unity would be for us as a team that year. Little did I know what that unity would cost, and who would need to pay up. Spoiler: it

Flipping the Map

“If you flip the map over, you’ll get a bigger picture of where we are,” I suggested to my teammate. His response? “I actually like to only look at the little square.” Surprised, I mentioned that he might be missing out on a lot by seeing only one piece of

Teamwork According to Ants

Go to the ant, you sluggard;  consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander,  no overseer or ruler,  yet it stores its provisions in summer  and gathers its food at harvest.  Proverbs 6:6-8  A friend and I were talking about working with others. I wasn’t at all surprised

Teaming in the Cities: An Interview with Patriece Johnson

Why is a team important to the mission of your city team?  Teams are important because there are so many aspects of ministering in the city context that one person will miss. We have some amazing leaders on campus and they have a unique skill set that allows them to

Teamwork

My idea of teaming was significantly impacted when I read the first four words of I and II Thessalonians: Paul, Silas and Timothy. Three individuals with decades of shared experience were writing a letter as a ministry team.  For 47 years, I have served with ministry teams on college campuses

The Story of My Sister

By the late 1990s, war and HIV/AIDS had ravaged my country, destroying entire families and villages. It left behind what was commonly referred to as “child-headed families,” families of little kids whose adults had been claimed by our tragedies. At barely 17 years, I was the head of my household.

The Gift of Co-Creating Connection

Her text read: I am so happy to co-labor with you, Jordan. Reading Bonnie’s text drew me into reflecting on our early days of collaboration. We met at a coach training I gave. Chatting after class, we realized not only did we have coaching in common, but our faith in