For My Friends Vocation Soup 12 Sep 202312 Sep 2023 By Justin Rossow “Vocation” (not “vacation”) is kind of a fancy word for “calling.” It comes from the same root as “vocal” or “voice.” You have been called by God…
Discipleship Tools… Souvenirs of God’s Faithfulness 9 Aug 20239 Aug 2023 By Kim Longden I picked up the My Next Step, Volume 1 book this morning (the one with the compass on the cover) and I was so encouraged! The invitation…
For My Friends Called to Listen, Commissioned to Speak 17 Jul 202317 Jul 2023 By Justin Rossow “What am I supposed to say?” For people who follow Jesus, that question can come up in all kinds of different circumstances. That question can turn a…
Faith Experiment… Adding Color 6 Apr 20236 Apr 2023 By Kristeen A. Bruun I have fallen victim to the adult coloring craze. I have heard that it was discovered to be a soothing activity for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients,…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 5 30 Mar 202311 Apr 2023 By Alli Bauck “Hi, friends!” A familiar voice enthusiastically welcomes me. It belongs to Annie F. Downs, a woman I have never met; but she and I have been on…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 4 22 Mar 202322 Mar 2023 By Alli Bauck If anyone is keeping track, we are over halfway through the Lenten season. (Resurrection Sunday is getting closer!!!) For me, personally, the last eleven days have been…
For My Friends You Go; and I’ll Walk with You 17 Mar 202317 Mar 2023 By Justin Rossow Our mailbox is 0.7 miles from our front door. It used to be 7 feet. Since our last move, getting the mail has become more than a…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week … What? 16 Mar 202317 Apr 2023 By Alli Bauck This week felt like one step forward, two steps back. As Spring makes its anticipated arrival to the Kansas City area, the forecast last week was a…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 2 8 Mar 2023 By Alli Bauck Wow. Podcasts are e-v-e-r-y-where! I started out my #Lentenwalk with a varied list of podcasts (see my first Lenten Walk blog); however, my Spotify library has doubled…
Faith Experiment… My CEF Faith Calendar 4 Mar 20234 Mar 2023 By Justin Rossow I wrote this article for the March, 2023 Michigan In Touch insert to the Lutheran Witness magazine. Thanks to the good people at Michigan Church Extension Fund…
For My Friends Living With the Laughing God 3 Mar 20231 Mar 2023 By Kristeen Bruun On my wall hangs a plaque that a friend engraved for me. It says, “Want to make God laugh? Tell God your plans!” I certainly must believe…
Faith Experiment… #Lenten Walk, Week 1 1 Mar 20231 Mar 2023 By Alli Bauck While visiting with a friend on the phone last night, she asked me how my Lenten walk practice was going. I laughed and reported that on the…
For My Friends… Lord, to whom shall we go? 22 Feb 202322 Feb 2023 By Rachel Hinz “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter says this to Jesus after hearing some really difficult stuff. Confusing, hard stuff.…
For My Friends Bottled Up 20 Feb 202320 Feb 2023 From a Fellow Traveler For a spirit to be defined as bourbon, it must meet five very specific criteria: it must be made in the United States; aging has to…
For My Friends Rosemary 10 Jan 202310 Jan 2023 By Kristeen A. Bruun By the rivers of Babylon I sat and wept...How could I sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land? Paraphrase of Psalm 137:1, 4…
For My Friends Top Blogs from 2022 30 Dec 202230 Dec 2022 2022 was another engaging year for the Next Step Community blog! Close to 12,000 visitors viewed our discipling content almost 19,000 times over the last 12 months. Here are some…
For My Friends The Christmas Cardinal 13 Dec 202211 Dec 2022 By Raelyn Pracht Growing up, we always decorated the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. My father would string the lights on the tree and wrap it in shiny, silver…
Cultural Studies… Why I Owe My Faith to the Jews 2 Dec 20223 Dec 2022 By Kristeen Bruun When I was in my twenties and very definitely searching in my faith life, I spent several years working in New York City. I loved my time…
