By Jonathan Foster “We have vastly underestimated how deeply ingrained are the organizational and cultural rigidities that hamper our ability to execute.” -Elmer Johnson as quoted by David Brooks in NY Times Sounds like church. I’ve been receiving quite a few negative comments about church leadership, staff, or internal dynamics lately. These things, I believe, … Continue reading Planting and Cultivating Ethos in a Church
By Jesse Medina I’m not much of an artist. I’ve painted or drawn a couple of things here and there and I’ve acted some, but for the most part I’m not very…cultured…when it comes to these sorts of things. One of the things that I love about paintings is the way the big picture is … Continue reading Brushstrokes: Stop Judging Culture’s Art by the Imperfections
By Jonathan Foster How do you respond to the pain around you? Most people respond with more pain. When hit we hit back. It’s a natural instinct. It’s why “turning the other cheek” is one of the most controversial ideas Jesus uttered. Yet, our lives will not be the lives God’s envisioned until we embrace … Continue reading More Defining of Christian Art
By Sarah Fujimoto Sometimes we search for things. For life, love, the lost things we can’t seem to locate within ourselves or find outside of ourself. We continue, traveling from place to place-literally- to find something deep within. The search for acceptance and need, meshed with the entagles of relationships, desires, mistreatments, and stubborn forgiveness. … Continue reading Sometimes: A Poem About The Search
By Jamie Ketchum RYFO Network provides a great amount of assistance to the touring bands we love. Nick Greenwood, founder of RYFO was gracious enough to tell us a bit more about this inspired project. Tell us how RYFO got its start? Most of us are enamored by the tragedies and glories we see … Continue reading RYFO Network: An Interview with the Founder
By Seth Barnes, Founder of Adventures in Missions Given the recent surge of interest and involvement in short-term missions, you’d think that it was a new phenomenon. Actually, it is a tradition as old as Christendom. In the sixth chapter of Mark we see that Jesus sent not a select few, but all of his … Continue reading Selecting a Short-Term Missions Experience
By Harold Vance We go to school for a degree, Not an education. Why did I pay All that money For a simple piece of parchment? All that time For nothing gained But ways of the world, As our cares are turned toward money and material things, And … Continue reading Conversation With a Beast: A Poem
By Brooke Luby Life is a complete mess. I don’t mean this in a hopeless, rip-your-hair-out way. It’s more sweet, like a toddler covered in chocolate pudding. As much as I think I am this free thinker, go-with-the-flow ,”let’s see where life takes me,” kind of person, I am still obsessed with control. I still … Continue reading Chocolate Pudding Spirituality: We Are All a Mess
By Josh Casper I’m an advocate for creativity in any way especially when it comes to helping the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. A simple necessity such as shoes can add much dignity to a life spent wondering through harsh and unsanitary conditions. Organizations such as TOMS Shoes created a wonderful business creating a way … Continue reading Barefoot Media Week: Soles4Souls
By Derek Iannelli-Smith Is Jesus really just concerned with our receiving him into our hearts? Have evangelicals over-emphasized individual “decisions for Christ” and under-emphasized the redemptive elements of the Gospel in regards to social and cultural transformation? Is our gospel a “Me-first” Gospel? A couple of disclaimers: 1. I have learned that there are some … Continue reading The Me-First Gospel: Individualism and Christianity