John Ortberg is the Senior Pastor of the 4,000 member Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) and the author of multiple books on spiritual formation. Recently in a Leadership Journal article, he revealed 7 things he hates about spiritual formation. His list includes: I hate how spiritual formation gets positioned as an optional pursuit for a small special interest group within the church, and I hate it when we forget that the goal is producing truly good people, Read More …
Every Kid Needs a Champion (#1086)
In recent years Rita Pierson has drawn on over four decades of educational experiences to conduct professional development workshops and seminars for thousands of educators. A former teacher (elementary, junior high, and special education), testing coordinator and assistant principal, Pierson believes that every kid needs a champion. Watch her recent 8 minute long TED talk on the topic now. So What? In this talk, Pierson challenges her listeners to rethink their roles in the Read More …
Review of The God Argument (#1085)
Meet the Author A. C. Grayling is Master of the New College of the Humanities, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. Previously, he was Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. Grayling is the author or editor of 30 books; a frequent contributor to the Literary Review, Observer, Independent on Sunday, Times Literary Supplement, Index on Censorship and New Statesman; and is the Editor of Online Review London Read More …
A Religious Double Standard (#1084)
While one would hope that Americans hold informed, respectful, and tolerant views of persons of all religious traditions (including those who have opted to not follow a religious paths) numerous studies indicate that most people have very limited levels of religious literacy. Sadly, one recent study found that there is a religious double standard regarding religious violence. More specifically: when people claim to be a Christian and commit violent acts in the name Read More …
Unity in Your Church (#1083)
Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared four ways you can advance the cause of unity within your local congregation/church/community of faith: preach on it, talk about Jesus' emphasis on it, model it, and get everyone on the same page -- literally (using a single resource for congregation wide study). So What? While I usually use this blog as a forum to promote Christian unity on a broader scale, it is of great significance that this begin Read More …
Global Islam (#1082)
Writing for the CNN Belief Blog, Dan Merica distills the newly released Pew Research Center study on Islam into five major takeaways: Differences between U.S. and international Muslims are vast, Sharia law favored, especially by more devout Muslims, Most Muslims believe religion, politics should be intertwined, Around the world, Muslims heralded religious freedom, and Islamic extremism widely rejected, but still a concern. Says Who? This four year long study included a total of Read More …
Global Religious Futures (#1081)
Earlier this week the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life launched a beta website, Pew-Templeton Religious Futures Project, that explores demographics and survey data on global religion. The site is the home for all things related to the project, which "analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world." While the current data and functionality are impressive, the group is planning enhancements to both. So What? When I learned of this new Read More …
Dealing with Change (#1080)
May has arrived. One of my routines as one month draws to a close and another begins is to ensure I have completed all of my tasks for month that is ending and to review my planned activities for the upcoming month. As I look at the month of May, I realize it is a time when I will experience several significant changes, including: teaching a course (perhaps two courses) I have never taught before, welcoming (and working for) the first ever dean of online learning at Hodges Read More …
Goodbye Blackberry, Hello S4 (#1079)
For the last several years I have been a Blackberry user addict. Day and night, my Blackberry has been within arm's reach. During this phase, I transitioned from writing most of my e-mails on a computer to composing the vast majority on my Blackberry, eliminated my land line at home and relied on my Blackberry, placed my files in the cloud, enabling easy access on my Blackberry (thanks Dropbox!), joined the social conversation, especially via Twitter, and experienced Read More …
A New Vision for Christian Education (#1078)
Yesterday, I spent a good deal of my day at church. After worship, the Board of Christian Education gathered in a meeting room for a five hour retreat focused on planning for the future. While a summary of of those proceedings will likely fill many pages, one sentence sets the tone for the future: Vision: To have as many participants each week in educational experiences as are present in worship. While retaining high quality standards, our congregation's educational programs for Read More …