Perspectives
Articles in this category are written on various topics from the perspective of the writer.
Why Do We Feel So Alone?
People of the earth seem to be so lonely and so full of angst about whether or not there is anyone else “out there.” Why did God create humans with this God-sized hole in our hearts?
Jim Brenneman
A Perspective on Bad Leadership
Why I’m most grateful for the worst examples of leadership.
Adrian Pei
No Time Like the Present
Wise leaders learn from their previous experiences in cross-cultural situations. In this anecdote, Bill was well-prepared to face the physical challenges and slight inconveniences associated with his environment. One of his assumptions, however, resulted in a productive lesson learned in humility and vulnerability.
William Frisbie
The One Thing The Church Cannot Do Without
Knowing the thoughts and trends of potential churchgoers is not bad in itself. Yet how much attention and how quickly churches are apt to change their approaches to living out the gospel in light of such knowledge is tragic.
Brent Hoover
11 Things I Want Church Leaders to Know About Millennials
The combination of youth and experience can take new ground for the Gospel, but first, “more experienced” leaders might want to check out 11 characteristics I have observed from my generation.
Stephen Vaughn
Pastors Who Make $25 a Month: What I Learned About Leadership from Them
During a recent trip to Cuba, I was able to spend time with local leaders. All together, we served about 150 pastors that represented conservatively over 8,000 people in their churches. Here’s what I learned.
Charles Stone
Repentance and Forgiveness
Frustration and fear feature strongly in change processes. Churches and Christian NGOs are no exception in my experience. Not surprising I suppose, given they are staffed by humans, not angels. But left undealt with, frustration and fear give rise to mistrust and effectively block efforts at change.
Victoria Mutiso
Our Evangelical Cover-Up?
I’m an Evangelical, and as an Evangelical I have the right to join my Evangelical brothers in confessing a currently-devastating sin, in repenting from it, and in making amends. I fear that the majority of us Evangelicals have been covering up one of the most significant truths of our modern age: More people are coming to faith in Christ around the world than ever before in history, while our Evangelical denominations in the West are declining.
George Patterson
How to Say No to a Wonderful Opportunity
Saying “no,” even when you really want to do this, is going to require everything in you. Saying “no” may be the finest gift you could ever give your wife and family and your church. Saying “no” when your ego and ambition and “sense of self” are all clamoring to seize this invitation is going to say worlds about your self-discipline and focus. Here are four thoughts on the subject.
Joe McKeever
Change Before You Have To
We all put off difficult decisions. It’s part of human nature. Churches and Christian organizations and leaders seem particularly prone to this failing. We want to appear loving. We want to be nice. But the consequences of delay may prove disastrous.
Rick James
Are Millennials Selfish and Entitled?
I don’t feel qualified to speak to the general group psychology of the entire generation of Millennials, but I have spent most of my time for the past decade or so around Millennial Christians, and I think the nasty caricatures of them are just not true.
Russell Moore
The Church in China: Toward a New Narrative
China is experiencing the most massive urban migration in the history of the world. The relocation of nearly 300 million people from the countryside to the cities has helped raise millions out of poverty, contributed to the rise of a new middle class, and, along with the one-child policy, brought about irreversible change in the Chinese family structure. It is this transformation of the church into a dynamic urban movement that constitutes the real story in China today. How the church weathers this urban transition will have far-reaching effects not only on the church in China but upon the global church as well.n Leadership, Brent Fulton
Brent Fulton
8 Ways for Expats Who Stay to Stay Well
At one point, I was a comer. One day in the future, I will be a leaver. But for the past twelve years, I have been a stayer. And I’ve passed through all the feelings: joy at new friends, sorrow at goodbyes, anger at goodbyes, self-righteous judgment of newbies, carelessness about my current circumstances, delight in my situation. It isn’t easy to stay well and to stay healthy emotionally, while staying. How can stayers, stay well?
Rachel Pieh Jones
Broke or Broken?
The Bible tells us God sent Jesus to take all of humanity’s brokenness upon Himself; to bring healing to the broken-hearted; and to restore us into a right relationship with God. What a resource for a broken world. As children of God we are not broke, but broken people being healed by Jesus, and sent into the world following the example of Christ.
Niklas Eklov
Lessons Learned through Listening in China
Foreigners often have access to hearts that are afraid to open up to friends, family, and even church members. May God help us all to be “quick to hear” and “slow to speak,” (James 1:19), that we may better express the love of God, who invites us to “pour out [our] heart before Him” (Psalm 62:8).
DR. G. Wright Doyle
The Wisdom of 50 Years in Leader Development
During a recent interview, Keith Yoder of Teaching the Word Ministries shared a bit of his background, what has changed in leader development, what he has learned, and challenges he has faced during his long career as a leader. His answers express a clear and continuing need for attention to clear identity and clear direction as cornerstones of healthy leadership.
Matthew Stewart
A Tale of Two Mars Hills
Paul spoke to Athenians from Mars Hill, a prominent outcropping where philosophers “would would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new” (Acts 17:21). He faced the same kinds of unbelief, doubt, and “advanced thought” that the church faces today. Eric draws a stark comparison between two other Mars Hills.
Eric Geiger
Introduction to Community Development from a Christian Perspective
Shalom is the biblical aspect of harmony within diversity. Frank’s startling insights describe community development as stemming from this biblical perspective. Typically an observer is drawn to the quality of the environment where people are. From a transformation perspective it is more important to wonder about how they relate to each other as they work; why they are doing this work; what consequences they envision for the way they do the work. He applies the definition of community development as loving God and neighbors, the first and second greatest commandments.
Frank Cookingham