Let’s Talk “Church Growth”

Let’s Talk “Church Growth”

Church
God is good, isn’t He?! We have been so blessed! I cannot emphasize enough how great it is we’re dealing with challenges…because we’re growing. Due to our circumstances, I have been reading a lot lately on the ever-changing subject of “church growth.” It’s really an interesting term. I had a class at Bear Valley called “Church Growth.” There’s a genre of books and literature with the same designation. There are great thinkers, many among the Lord’s church, who are considered “experts” in this field. But, let’s think about this for a minute, shall we? To a person we would certainly remind our friends and families the church is not the building, it’s the people. We would not hesitate to confirm the church is comprised of individual, obedient believers sharing in…
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Lessons Learned Painting in Guatemala

Lessons Learned Painting in Guatemala

Blog
You learn when you visit foreign countries. I learned a great deal on my trip to Guatemala in June. I learned volcanic ash sometimes looks like black dirt. I learned in some countries corruption is systemic and, to a degree, grudgingly accepted. I learned Jorge Ubico, the dictator – excuse me – authoritarian ruler of Guatemala from 1931 to 1944, had a bizarre affinity for the number five! I also learned a great deal about painting. We painted and did repair work at ITL - Instituto Teológico Latinoamericano (Latin American Theological Institute). I learned about better brush strokes and methods to trim-paint. However, I also learned some lessons beyond just painting… 1) Sometimes we can’t see details best when we’re too close. Painting a wall, or an eave on an…
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TeamYanny

TeamYanny

Blog
Am I the only sane person left!? I am the only one in my family who hears and sees Yanny in a gold and white dress! Everyone else? Laurel in a blue and black dress! What is that!? It seems so obvious to me. By now you’ve surely heard of the bizarre meme which tore through the internet recently. If not, it was a recording of a voice saying “Yanny.” However, some crazy people immediately heard “Laurel.” It was very reminiscent of 2015’s viral sensation picture of the clearly gold and white dress some mistakenly saw as blue and black. (#TeamGoldAndWhiteDress) Well, the truth of it is, neither parties were crazy. The blue-dressers were no more or less crazy than the Yanny-hearers. The audio clip really explored cognitive tendencies in…
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PRAY-cation

PRAY-cation

Church
I know it’s February. It’s not exactly the time, for most of us, to be thinking about longer days and how to spend them. (But I think about it anyway!) Do we stay around town or do we get away somewhere? Do we want a full-fledged vacation, or do we just need a break? I believe the idea of “just needing a break” resonates with many, if not all, of us. I think we all occasionally long for a time to just be off…to relax and think and reflect. I’ve been reading lately about being mindful and how to create good habits. But, without time to sit and think about where I am and where I’m going, it’s all kind of just busy work! This all makes me think about…
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