This post comes from G. Reid Doster, LPC, LMFT. He serves as coordinator of CBF Louisiana, maintains a private practice in clinical pastoral counseling and serves as Coordinator of Behavioral Healthcare Services for EXCELth Primary Care Network, New Orleans. Sometimes, a local Christian fellowship is the only place in town where people, no matter what … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Church
Interfaith Dialogue: God turns missteps into expressions of grace
Throughout the Christmas season, we helped organize and/or participated in various interfaith dialogue events. Some of them were between women’s groups as Christians and Muslims shared the story of Jesus’ birth. In others panelists responded to specific questions regarding their faith. Read this Religious Freedom USA blog post regarding one of those events. Following is … Continue reading
God’s Gift
Sue and I began LUCHA Ministries in 2004 with United Methodist colleagues Victor and Heather Gomez to address social, spiritual, family and community-development needs we observed in the Latino community in the greater Fredericksburg, Virginia area. In partnership with area agencies, churches and others, we’ve offered ministries of transportation, translation, food, spiritual outreach, summer youth activities, … Continue reading
The kingdom of God is like…
Earlier this week, I took my kids to Stone Mountain Park. Our year membership ends at the completion of this month and we wanted to use it one last time. The main attraction was Sky Hike, a ropes course whose levels are 12, 24 and 40 feet off the ground. Heights are not something I … Continue reading
How do we grow?
How do we grow? It may seem like a simple question. “How do we grow?” Yet what flows off the tongue so easily is rarely easy to answer. First, what does the question mean? Continue reading
An Honest Confession from a Young Baptist
This past Sunday, I must confess, I didn’t attend church. I realize this isn’t very shocking for most people today but since my wife is on staff at a local congregation, this time alone on a Sunday morning was quite rare. I passed the time catching up on odd jobs around the house that I … Continue reading
Young Adult Ministry Killing the Church?
There is an interesting article in an online magazine that asks if young adult ministries are killing the church. What a crazy question. Everyone knows that it is usually our ecclesiology—our understanding of church—that kills (maybe that is a strong word), impedes the church. (Hear the facetiousness.) Continue reading
“Take up your cross and follow me.”
I read this Blog yesterday about the difference between a theology of Life and a theology of Death. It is an interesting read, and I think that Mr. Cole is journeying in the right direction. After reading, I begin to think about the paradox that is expressed in the Blog–“The one who finds his life … Continue reading
By what fruit are we known?
Kenneson, Phillip, D. Life on the Vine, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999. In the book Life on the Vine, Phillip Kenneson challenges the Western Church to take up the action of discernment. He wonders if the fruit of the spirit is in fact being cultivated … Continue reading
The Church in 50 years?
Ok, so some friends and I were standing around the other day doing what we really enjoy doing, talking about theology, (I know we are strange). The topic of conversation centered upon ecclesiology…we were discussing the nature and theology of the Church. It was the same old conversation that many of you might have had … Continue reading