I’d like to take a moment to celebrate generosity. The generosity of you, the Ward Church congregation, displayed in your year-end giving. At the beginning of December, we were facing the overwhelming goal of $844,021 in December giving in order to finish the year 2018 on target. When challenged to reflect on God’s faithfulness this past year and to “finish strong” with your giving in response, you stepped up to the challenge.
You may not be surprised to hear that I have spent a fair share of time in various medical settings over the past fifteen months. Since my cancer diagnosis, surgery and now remission, Dr. Balaraman’s office has been one of my frequented stops. One thing I have learned along the way, through the passion of my oncologist, is the great need for organ donors in our state.
Last week we witnessed hatred and violence in its ugliest form: racism. We then witnessed a public and political debate about the “proper” response. At a time when you would expect all people to come together to condemn bigotry and to pray for peace, the lines of division only seem to deepen. These days are darker and more dangerous than a solar eclipse.
For those of you who missed it, earlier this week I posted some historical observations about the history of facial hair in the church. I grew a beard during my summer sabbatical and…
This summer, while on sabbatical, I grew a beard. No big deal. Just a lazy, summer luxury. I’d rather grow hair on the top of my head, but that option…
Like many churches, our church has a high concentration of visitors each fall. There is something about the start of a new school year that suggests a fresh start. We…
I sat down with John Nowacki, the Director of Campus Services at Ward Church, to discuss the role of facilities in Christian ministry and some of the specific building projects…
The world is changing. Last week’s Supreme Court decision proved that. In a 5-to-4 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled that states cannot ban same-sex…
The 2014 release of the Left Behind movie starring Nicolas Cage raised many questions about the biblical idea of end times. The movie, based on the Left Behind series of…
It finally happened. In almost 30 years of church ministry, I experienced my first Sunday morning power outage. At the conclusion of our early chapel service, the electric power in…
