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Let me start off by saying I am very picky when it comes to fiction books, even more so when it is fantasy or sci-fi. So when I recommend this book as a 5 out of 5, know that I mean it. The Name of the Wind is the first book of the currently incomplete KingKiller Chronicle series where magic is beautifully discussed and the hero, who may not always be the hero, fights his way through life. ... Read More
We are excited to have Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson on the podcast this week! They discuss their recently released book, Prayer: Forty Days of Practice. This isn't your typical devotional and certainly not your typical interview. This was one of our most favorite interviews on the podcast -- to date! ... Read More
Me not being 'western' I wondered if this book was worth a read. After recommendations from a couple of friends, I read it. There was one other important reason to read it. Most of the commentaries, books, and unpacking of scripture I engage with is western. I engage a lot with 'western theology', whatever that means. E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien wrote Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible. ... Read More
The Apostles' Creed was not a piece of my Christian upbringing. I was raised in a non-liturgical church, but I have since gone back and tried to see if I have missed out on anything. In my estimation, I have, slightly, because I don't have a firmly ingrained mental connection to the ancient church. I don't have something like the Apostles' Creed in my head at all times, and I think that I am at a disadvantage because of that fact. Of course, there are some who do have this short theological ... Read More
I just got back from my youth group's Bible study. We were looking at Mark 4, and I asked them why they thought Jesus used agricultural metaphors in so many of His parables. "It's what His audience dealt with in their daily lives." We went on to talk about Jesus' audience wasn't likely schooled in deep theology, but they sure did know their seeds. ... Read More
Last month, we introduced the idea of starting a ChurchMag Book Club and with a lot of support, we are going to move forward with it! I put a poll up in our ChurchMag Facebook group on if we did the book club, which book would people want to do first and I think we had a runaway winner: ... Read More
There are many different biblical and historical models of financing the church and missionary work. Sometimes it involves direct giving to a church, sometimes “tent making” where missionaries carry out a trade to fund their work. And sometimes it involves raising support for people you know who have the funds to help out. That last one can be tricky and cause people issues but luckily Chris Staplehurst has created a super simple guide that will really help you out. It’s called 12 Easy Actions ... Read More
Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could they didn't stop to think if they should. That quote, of course, came from Dr. Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park, but it just of easily could be mentioned in Brett Frischmann and Evan Selinger's new book Re-Engineering Humanity. To be clear, they aren't anti-technology, and they aren't nearly as snarky or shady as Ian Malcom. What they are is cautious, and they expect us to be be the same. In fact, an entire chapter of their book is ... Read More
I've been toying around with the idea of doing a ChurchMag book club, something similar to what we do with the book From The Garden To The City in 2011. I'd love to put it together and read with you guys, but I am not sure which book to pick. So I need your help. Over on our closed Facebook group (you have to be approved to join), I have a poll running to pick which book we should read through for the book club. If you are interested in being part of the book club, go give your two cents on ... Read More
As I have gone into ministry and work environments, I have always thought, that you need to respect leadership, give solutions to problems you find, and give 100% for the time you are at work. Many times, this led to me getting done with my job and not having anything to do. This did not mean time to stop working, but with my need to give solutions to problems, I usually found myself trying to further the vision of leadership through opportunities I may be able to take lead under the leadership ... Read More
