Advent… Have A Very … Christmas 18 Dec 2020 By Justin Rossow I love Christmas time! Except when I don't. And a Covid Christmas brings up all kinds of mixed emotions (shaken, not stirred). My parents decided not to…
Advent… My Virtual Secret Santa 17 Dec 2020 By Naomi Rossow This time last year, I was in Detroit on Wayne's campus with my friends gearing up to take my first round of college finals. My friends and…
Advent… Dear Jesus, I Have Survivor Guilt 13 Dec 202014 Dec 2020 By Kristeen Bruun Over the past ten days, I have been working on writing my annual Christmas letter, something I have sent out for at least the past 30 years.…
Cultural Studies… My Identity, On Deposit 4 Dec 2020 By Justin Rossow I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the question of identity. Well before COVID made working from home a common, cultural experience, I left a job and…
Discipling Leaders… Cultivating a Preaching Ministry in an Age of Covid (and Beyond): Think Compass, Not Canoe. 9 Oct 20209 Oct 2020 To build a preaching ministry that reaches people in today's communication environment, integrate your sermons into the discipleship life of your congregation. (Think Compass, not Canoe.) by Justin Rossow How…
For Me… Dwell In Unity 1 Oct 20201 Oct 2020 By Katie Helmreich It was a beautiful summer evening. Perfect for prepping the driveway for new concrete. My job was to wet the gravel so it would compact well. I…
Discipling Leaders Sermon Series in the Age of Covid: Think Tinker Toys, Not Jenga. 30 Sep 20204 Nov 2020 To build a sermon series that reaches people in today's communication environment, build connections, not a tower. (Think Tinker Toys, not Jenga.) by Justin Rossow If over half of my…
Discipling Leaders Sermons in the Age of Covid: Think Weekly Meal Plan, Not Sunday Buffet. 22 Sep 20209 Oct 2020 To reach people in today's communication environment, expand your one shot Sunday sermon into multiple communication channels. by Justin Rossow Our communication culture has been shifting for awhile. Covid may…
For Me… He Breathed On Them 26 May 2020 By Kristeen Bruun “He breathed on them...” (John 20:22) I don't think I’ve ever understood this passage as completely as I do now, when we’re doing our best not to…
For Me… O God, Where Are You? 22 May 202028 Dec 2020 By Naomi Rossow Sitting on the waterside patio with the lake air surrounding me, I was content. The sky was filled with different shades of blue, and the water reflected…
For Me… Long-Distance Relationships 6 May 20206 May 2020 By Naomi Rossow My boyfriend and I have been dating for four months now. Half of that has been in quarantine. After dating for two months, we were forced into…
For Me… The Tide Has Turned 4 May 2020 By: Kristeen Bruun In these days of “shelter at home,” I’ve been re-reading (for the tenth or so time) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I thought now…
Discipling Leaders Decision Fatigue 28 Apr 202028 Dec 2020 By Justin Rossow Well, I think this Covid-19 nonsense has gone on long enough, don't you? It seems past time for things to get back to normal. And they are…
Discipleship Tools… See and Remember 28 Apr 2020 By Pat Maier People ask, “Why visual faith? What is the purpose and benefit?” When we share about the blessings behind this spiritual discipline, we point to the underlying principle…
Discipleship Tools… Created to Share 26 Apr 202012 Jan 2021 By Justin Rossow, with an instruction video by Karen Hunter We follow Jesus better when we follow Him together. That means we all have something to learn, and something to…
Discipleship Tools… Family Doodling Devotions 23 Apr 202028 Dec 2020 By Katie Helmreich Great family devotion time was a unicorn I hunted for a long time. We've managed to get to Advent devotions a couple years, but we never really…
Discipling Leaders… We Will Rise 19 Apr 202010 Jan 2021 The Next Step PodcastSeason 1: When from Death I'm FreeEpisode 12: "We Will Rise"Date: 19 April 2020Guest: Visual Faith Illustrator Karen HunterAlso available on: iTunes The closing chapter of When…
For Me Practicing Forgiveness at Home 17 Apr 2020 By Kim Longden I like to think of our home as a proving ground—a place where things are tested and tried out. One of the things we have been testing…