John Chau’s death in November raised a complicated and important conversation about the role of Christian evangelism. I’m going to let that debate rage on Twitter and the New York Times and the Failed Missionary podcast. I want to launch a different conversation. I believe Chau’s dream, work, and death forces the church to consider […]
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It just sort of happened. As a teenager growing up in an a cappella church with an a cappella youth group, I sang a lot. In a non-instrumental church, any guy who can loosely carry a tune will be asked to carry that tune. And so I was. Over and over. And over. No guitar […]
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“If we honestly face the sadness of life in a fallen world, then only our hope in Christ can preserve us from insanity or suicide.” – Larry Crabb That’s an intense statement, and I sort of choked when I read it for the first time. But the more I chew on it, and the more I […]
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I think something’s missing. It’s something that Jesus loved (and studied) a whole lot. It’s missing because it doesn’t really fit into our Discovery Bible story sets. It doesn’t seem to add value to our NGOs or leadership trainings. It doesn’t offer an immediate return on investment or accelerate the planting and growing of churches. It’s the […]
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By Stephanie Ebert If any group of people has a long and convoluted history with evangelical church traditions, it’s missionary kids. Like pastor’s kids, the emotional baggage around church is piled higher than the lost luggage corner at the Johannesburg airport. We tend to camp out either around the “wounded/bitter/cynical” baggage claim belt, or the […]
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So, you failed to save the world. You failed to complete the task of global evangelism. You failed to see massive geopolitical change in your region. You failed. Or at least you feel like it. Good-hearted people in your organization (maybe) and your churches (hopefully) tell you you’re not a failure. But you still feel […]
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“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” The Star of Bethlehem had a point, an important point. But the star was not the point. The star fulfilled its role of leading across cultures and religious paradigms, down dusty roads and around a paranoid prince, to […]
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Photographing weddings got me through college. It also taught me about the Church. Sometimes, your day is spent with really happy people. Sometimes, it’s spent with really stressed out people. Sometimes, the really stressed out people turn into the really happy people. You get to be around radiant brides, people who dance but really shouldn’t, […]
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There is a subtle mindset which can creep into our thinking as missionaries and social activists. We can begin to think that there are those who are called to go, and those who are called to give. Jesus himself said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the […]
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