“Guardedness is the plague of the international church.” Long-time counselors to kingdom servants worldwide, Eric and Rachel DuFour made this bold statement in a workshop at the MICN Conference in 2018 and I have been thinking about it ever since. Guardedness is the inability to open one’s heart to deep connections. It is the compulsion […]
Each spring I am somewhere in the eastern Mediterranean leading a group that’s visiting archaeological and biblical sites. But with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all such tours have been cancelled through much of 2020. One of my favorite itineraries follows the footsteps of Paul in Turkey. We begin in the southeast at Antakya, […]
Chances are high that you are leading in a cross-cultural, ever-changing, COVID-19 impacted, social-distancing, online ministering international church… so if you feel a bit worn or weary…you are normal. This post will cover 6 actions you can take right now to help you lead better in your church or organization. 1. Respond, Don’t React Each […]
I love being in two places at once! I don’t mean an absent-in-body-but-with-you-in-spirit thing which we sometimes say when declining an invitation. I mean something quite different, but it is still a mystery to me as to how exactly this can be true. There is, of course, the place I now am physically. So, where […]
Church planting is now one of the major expressions of Gospel proclamation and Kingdom growth in the 21 st century. In 2018, a UN report projected that 68% of human beings will live and work in cities by 2050. With IC’s already firmly established in global cities, MICN leadership senses this is a kairos moment […]
A Time of Prayer and Fasting David built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. THUS, THE LORD WAS MOVED BY PRAYER FOR THE LAND AND THE PLAGUE WAS HELD BACK FROM ISRAEL. 2 Samuel 24:25 (NASB) Our world and all its inhabitants are in the throes of dealing with […]
I thought I’d learned all I needed to know about hand washing in kindergarten. But a global pandemic leaves little margin for error. Who knows but that one second short of the magic 30 might cause a crafty Covid-19 escapee to take up illegal residence? So I am doing my part to help prevent the […]
This Easter is disturbing. For so many across the world, these are terrifying times. I don’t need to elaborate as I am sure you all know very well; we could all write out a long list of the various hardships being faced. With varying degrees of engagement, International Churches (ICs) are working to love and […]
In light of this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are dealing with unique ministry-related challenges. Much of the pop-theology that has flooded our airwaves and filled our memory banks is proving to be too weak in true biblical content to be of much use. And, from the other side, the tendency to theologically speak […]
I have often been troubled by this passage in Hebrews 5:11-6:3 (please read it now!). A range of questions come to mind. Is it true of my church? Am I part of the problem? Given the list of the basics here (6:1-2), what does the writer to the Hebrews regard as “solid food”? What is […]