A recent study reveals that divinity or theological schools have seen an increase in enrollment of “boomers.” That is, increasing from 12 percent of theological students in 1995 to 21 percent in 2010, there are more students who are in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s. Eliza Smith Brown of the Association of Theological Schools comments: “Many …
Over the past weeks, the news in the digital world was filled with reports about unauthorized access to data systems of big companies, compromising the private info of clients and users. In other words, their computer systems were hacked. And the leading news reported the security breach of Sony and its Play Station Network (PSN). …
Like many homeowners today, Grace and I now have what has come to be called an “underwater mortgage.” That is, the value of the house owned is lower than the amount of our loan. And like many homeowners in this same situation we considered possible options available that would help to resolve the discrepancy. One …
As I write, it’s just a little more than 24 hours before the announced end of the world. If you are reading this article, either you were “left behind,” or the “judgment day” that was supposed to happen last Saturday did not occur. The second reason is probably the accurate one. Proponents of the May …
I recently came across an interesting article. It begins with these words: “Botox may smooth your wrinkles, but it can dull your ability to understand the emotions of others.” The article references a study that suggests that the inability of facial muscles to express a person’s emotions may actually dampen that same person’s ability to …
Exactly a week after the celebration of Jesus the Christ’s overwhelming victory over sin and death, another kind of celebration broke out among the people of the United States. When President Obama issued the official announcement that the country’s number one enemy was finally found and killed, the news spread like wildfire and many people …
Holy Week was, as usual, pretty hectic. Preparations for the Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday worship services were in full swing. Things were going well. We had a very inspiring and challenging Good Friday service. Saturday night came and we were planning to go to the church facility early the next day. But we had …
At the waiting room of a clinic, I noticed that one magazine featured an article on a popular actress. The cover refers to how faith plays a “huge, huge role” in the life of the actress. Being a pastor, that caught my interest. So I picked up the magazine and read the article. The actress …
An integral part of the church’s calling statement is its vision statement. Whereas the purpose statement provides a summary of the biblical mandate of the church, the vision statement paints a picture of how the church will live out its purpose within its specific context. The vision helps to focus the church and provide a …
Another declared value to guide the doing of ministry in Vallejo International is that we seek to be effective. Effectiveness is about achieving success in producing a desired or intended result. The critical basis of evaluating effectiveness is the goal of ministry. This points us back to the three-fold purpose of exalting God, empowering disciples, …
