Blog

Got any big themes that stuck out for you this past year? Some may pop into your mind as you read this, like the good or the bad or the annoying. Some of your themes will be missed if you don’t take some time to think it over. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is...

At a recent meeting my friend said something surprising. …something that most people just do not say. We were unpacking the details of his ministry, and his off handed comment drew my attention. He shared, “You know, I really am a half empty kind of guy.” As he said...

This note is going to talk about something different. I’ve been sharing about my national role with The Navigators …my Tonka Projects. As I have headed into the fall, I’ve been curious and hopeful about my local opportunities. A chunk of my time is set aside for...

  I got a lot of gifts from my parents. Mom and Dad gave me good things at birthdays and special occasions. As I look back, they were enjoyed, then broke and thrown away. But not all had this fate. Here’s a picture of me with a Tonka Truck. These were way over...

The Great Commission …not my job. Matthew 28:16-20 has become known as the Great Commission. It is Jesus’ last words and task he was handing off to his Apostles. Tasks like make disciples, teach, baptize. Do these wherever you go. This little group forged ahead,...

Four AM in the morning Captain Samuel Johnson and a small party were sent on an important reconnaissance mission. They were told by their commanding officer to find the end of the enemy’s line. That would be the weak spot they could attack and out flank the opponent....

I returned recently from two sets of leadership meetings and a conference led by our African-American Network. The main discussion was how do we launch a disciplemaking movement. Worldwide missiologists  have observed 1400 of them. They are a rapid advancement of the...

February marks the forth month in my new role. I am enjoying it and sensing that I am already making a contribution. I am a part of The Navigators one million disciplemaker strategy. This role expands the spectrum of ministry expressions. Let me unpack what my new...

Prayer is simply a conversation with God. It can be uttered by children beautifully and by mature adults, wonderfully nuanced for all life brings. Tim Keller wrote, “Prayer, then is both awe and intimacy, struggle, and reality.” That rich description of all it could...

When I was a boy, my dad made an announcement at dinner that we were moving. My brothers and sister loved the town and neighborhood where we lived. There were lots of kids on our street and gracious neighbors. Dad’s dinnertime news threw us all. Soon we were boarding...

Culture has a magnetic power to transform us. It will build into us how we speak, the values we live by, the stories we tell, and what we do. David Brooks echoes this in his book, The Second Mountain: “Never underestimate the power of the environment you work in to...

Oh grow up! That was on my mind when my wife and I had just returned from being with our daughter. We were working through a pesky issue our daughter was having with a neighbor. We were discussing the potential options. Helen had one idea and I had another. Helen...