For a few years I’ve been offering gratitude challenge calendars. Sometimes they’ve been free, other times for sale on the Etsy store. This year I’m splitting the difference. This year’s calendar (click to download) is free for personal use, but if you’d like to distribute it to your entire church or school community, I’m politely […]
Gratitude Every Day, 2019 Read More »
Last year our congregation talked about how to make a simple “welcome station” where people could see what’s going on in the congregation and feel welcome as they came inside. The solution was simple: we moved a long buffet in front of a wooden welcome sign we already had. Small metal clips were nailed on
Good Ideas: Welcome Station with Mini Children’s Library Read More »
Worship with children and adults of all ages together is on trend right now. Lots of my colleagues insist it’s the only way for the church to move forward. Children have been programmed to death, plucked out of church services, and not made to be a part of the worshipping community as a whole. Because
Blended Church: All Ages Worship + Children’s Church Read More »
One of the things we’re working on in my church right now is fixing up dedicated space for children, youth, and intergenerational events. Like many mainline churches, our building is much bigger than the congregation needs right now, which presents both challenges and opportunities. There are so many bulletin boards in hallways and classrooms, and
Bulletin Board Idea: Let Your Light Shine! Read More »
There are moments in our lives that transform us and color everything that comes afterward. For author Greg McKeown, author of the New York Times bestseller Essentialism that moment was taking a business meeting right after the birth of his child. His boss assured him he would be rewarded for his dedication, but upon reflection,
Book Review /// Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less Read More »
Over the past few years, in an effort to build intergenerational community, many congregations have set their worship spaces up to include a designated area for young worshipers. Dubbed “pray-grounds,” these spaces sometimes offer child friendly furniture, resources, and lessons for young people in worship. I highlighted a number of them in this article. Though
Pew Boxes for Interactive Worship Read More »
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard about creating is this: If you create for yourself, you’ll always know that at least one person is happy with your work. I wrote my first book Faithful Families for me and for my family. I’ve been so incredibly grateful to see it resonate with
Introducing Prayers for Faithful Families! Cover Reveal and Inspiration Read More »
As she wrote in the foreword to Faithful Families, Rachel Held Evans and I met when we were at a Christian Women’s Retreat in Mo Ranch, Texas. She was the keynote speaker and I was one of many workshop leaders. Together we were the leadership team, and because of this, we had a number of
The following was preached at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church Sunday, February 17, 2019 I have been on a journey I didn’t expect and wasn’t ready for – I’m not sure anyone could be ready for it. Today, I want to tell you where I’ve been the past few weeks and what I’ve been learning and experiencing.
Journey Towards Healing Read More »
We’re at the movie theater in Detroit before I got married. Phil is walking ahead of me with a big tub of popcorn and Diet Coke. I’m trailing behind. He finds a seat — not too close, not too far away. “This good?” he says. “Sure.” He walks in and takes a seat. I
Brief Reflections Remembering Phil Read More »
