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I am a pulpit preacher. I do not come down to the floor in an effort to connect better with the congregation. I do not wander around the sanctuary with anxious energy meandering through my sermon, like a child in a corn maze. No, I stand firmly in my pulpit. Because when I am preaching from the pulpit, I am standing on the shoulders of women who are the propagators of the ...

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I used to belong to a church that no longer exists. We were founded on a vision of being a multicultural worshiping congregation that was empowered by the Holy Spirit to do innovative outreach in the community. For me it was a dream come true. However, after I had been a member of this thriving church for 12 years, it folded. It’s hard to pinpoint the ultimate reason ...

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Many leaders mistake mission and vison, but they’re not the same. Martin Luther King Jr. had a vision—a dream—to end segregation. His mission involved various methods like marches, speeches, and boycotts to help make that vision a reality. The mission is the work to be done in order to reach the vision. Does your church or ministry have a clear vision ...

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What do you do when you realize your church talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk? It’s an all-too-common realization, and one I’ve had myself. I agreed with all the church’s stated values, I affirmed their mission, but in reality, those written statements weren’t backed up by any action. And that made ministry effectiveness very difficult. ...

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The job description was a good fit. Looking over the church’s literature and noticing the symbols around the building, she felt comfortable as she walked into the interview. She agreed wholeheartedly with the values communicated during the interview, plus the vision was inspiring. Impressive, she thought.

But as this newly minted seminary grad set about the work ...

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You've heard these phrases. Maybe you've said them:

• It's not me—it's all God.
• I'm nothing. Any talent I have comes right from God.
• Oh thank you, but to God be all the glory!

They sound good, humble, even biblical. But are they?

And why do Christian women, in particular, tend to dismiss commendation and demean their own competence? Why can't we simply ...

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Do you sense the gap between the way things are and the way they should be?

This Advent, I’ve been singing O Holy Night with new fervor:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

‘Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

This song names the tension I feel ...

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Catherine Booth was born in a small town in central England in 1829. The Victorian Age wasn’t exactly the golden age for women. Yet Catherine was able to create a lasting legacy that we’re reminded of every time we hear the bell ringers calling us to drop our coins in the red kettles of The Salvation Army.

Two things hugely influenced Catherine’s formative ...

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It’s true that ministry is hard. It’s true that ministry takes sacrifice. But ministry shouldn’t hurt.

We teach young women the same concept in romance: love shouldn’t hurt. We say if a man says he loves you but hits you or treats you badly emotionally or psychologically, then it isn’t love at all.

It’s the same with ministry. If ...

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I'm a rarely seen species: a woman in theology who has no sad stories to tell you about being harassed, roadblocked, or discriminated against. I've spent ten years in formal study of theology, but no one has ever made a snide remark to me about my gender. I've spent three years in professional ministry and never had anyone oppose my work, my preaching, or my ...