February 2017
No More Frenemies in Ministry
Daytime TV talk shows remain something of an occasional guilty pleasure for me, but on this particular afternoon it was essential viewing. After all, it was a TV world exclusive, an interview that had needed to happen for over a decade. It was actually more intimate than an interview, in its own daytime TV kind of way, with no studio audience to cheer or clap: this was a conversation, ...
Love Thy (Immigrant) Neighbor
Today’s headlines say a lot about refugees and immigrants. Yet not much of what we read adequately prepares us to effectively facilitate their transition to American life once they settle down in our neighborhoods. What can we as church leaders do when they come to us for help?
Because many immigrants hail from patriarchal or machismo cultures, it’s vital that women ...
My Biggest Ministry Mistake
As I look back on my 35 years of church leadership, I am struck by a peculiar dynamic. I struggle to recall many of the times when God has shown up and powerfully proven his love, but I remember every detail connected to my mistakes. There was the time when I organized an end-of-the-year celebratory dinner for 80 people and forgot to assign someone to bring plates and utensils. ...
Discomfort Clarified My Calling
Sometimes God makes himself most known in the in-between moments of our lives—in times of uncertainty, tension, or waiting. This has certainly been true for Riana Shaw Robinson, a mother, wife, pastor, and seminary student from the San Francisco Bay Area. And my guess is that you’ve experienced this, too.
Born in Richmond, California, Robinson grew up in the church, ...
Bounce Back After Defeat
I used to believe that in ministry, no sacrifice is wasted—that our blood, sweat, and tears will always bear good fruit. When I started a new ministry, I envisioned ascending a ladder of faith, going higher and higher to reach the mountaintop. I figured if I put in the hard work, it would hold, and I could continue building on that foundation.
Imagine my shock when unforeseen ...