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FIRST, imagine you are a mom visiting your church nursery: As you enter the doors of the new church, you silently pray that God will smile on your day. You hold your child snugly—feeling hopeful, yet fearful. The colorful pastel nursery hallways please you; the happy voices and faces encourage you. Maybe you’ve found “home.” “Please, Lord, make this a ‘good’ day!” Your smiling face …
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) How Kids Think Some children wonder, “Why can’t I have what I want?” They would like all their desires to be gratified. Regrettably, they often fail to show appreciation to those who do provide them with good things. Those kids also …
In 2008 our family was hit hard by the recession. With the financial downturn, we knew that a “normal” Christmas was not possible. After much discussion, we decided to participate in a very simple, homemade gift exchange with inexpensive and creative gifts. As Christmas approached I wondered how our family would do—gift giving was a huge part of our holiday tradition. Would Christmas feel the …
For more than 150 years, Christians have enjoyed sending and receiving personal cards that reflect our faith to people we know and love! Some cards are accompanied by annual family updates; others are photographs with handwritten notes. How and where did this tradition begin? In the early 1800’s, many people wrote letters to friends and family members during the Christmas season. Because the holiday was …
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV). How Kids Think Kids wonder, “Are the things I learn in Church really true?” Children who have routinely swallowed teaching about relativism and tolerance have little regard for absolute …
“Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life.” –George Barna In his article Family Ministry: How a Biblical Worldview Shapes the Way We Teach Our Children, Timothy Paul Jones reminds us that our …
Though Robert K. Greenleaf launched the modern servant leadership movement in 1970, its beginning can be traced to the earliest pages of Hebrew Scriptures. In this article by Perry W. H. Shaw, discover what it means to minister in Christ-likeness. Redemption: The Authority to Serve As a respected leader, so much of Jesus’ behavior was culturally shocking: he prioritized his attention to those others rejected; …
