TweetThis post would probably be more aptly titled “Why we ought to talk to atheists according to methods prescribed in Part 1“. But I I like parallel structure, so it’s part 2. Take this one with a grain of salt because it has considerably less biblical support than part 1 and leans heavily upon my own experience and [...]
Posts from ‘August, 2009’
Handing Over the Keys
TweetTomorrow I finally leave my beloved Ann Arbor and return to Chicago to begin raising my financial support to go on staff with New Life Church. It’s a pretty mixed bag of emotions, to be honest. On the one hand, I’m full of excitement and anticipation to see who God will bring into my life [...]
How to Talk to Atheists Part 1
TweetIn case you don’t know me well, that’s not condescension you smell in the title. It’s sarcasm. I cringe at the thought of a how-to manual on interacting with the scary foreign monster called “Atheist”. I do, however, think Christians generally suck at engaging in spiritual dialogue with our more skeptical neighbors. So I am here to [...]
The Avoidable Social Justice Conversation
TweetDuring our church staff’s prayer and fasting week, we took a time to pray over the four core areas of our social justice initiatives: – HIV/AIDS – Extreme Poverty – Sex Trade – Widows and Orphans To be completely honest (and show you just how broken I am), when I saw the first three, my initial [...]
Leading Men Radically in Our Culture: Part II (The Solution)
TweetAn end result of everything I discussed in Part 1 is that every fall I’m handed a group of new university men with a culturally pathological fear of other men. And somehow I’m supposed to help move them toward a biblical standard of male relationship that includes weeping, intense longing, confession, and unfettered boldness. It’s one of [...]
Leading Men Radically in Our Culture Part I: (The Problem)
TweetEvery freshman man I’ve gotten to know at the University of Michigan steps on campus carrying with him a basic assumption that goes something like this: Other men are not safe. He’s been learning this his entire life through trial and error. When he has shared a weakness or vulnerability with a boy his age, that boy (out of his [...]
Why “Church Experience” Makes Me Chuckle
TweetA couple weeks ago, I taught on stage in church for the very first time. Afterward, a friend of mine pointed out the humor in something I had said during the talk. To emphasize a point I was making, I had said something to the effect of: “In my three years of leading, I’m more convinced of [...]
A Year of Freedom
TweetLeadership Training 2009 Ann Arbor is now officially at a close, and New Life Church is collectively looking to what lies ahead. At our Closing Ceremonies, lead pastor Steve Hayes cast the vision for the next year at New Life Church: a year of Freedom. As children of God’s promises to Israel (Romans 9:8), we [...]
Upcoming Hillsong Projects
TweetThe newest Hillsong album, Faith+Hope+Love will be released in the U.S. this coming Tuesday. I’ve had the privilege of listening to the album, and I’m amazed year after year at how this one church consistently writes and produces such amazing worship music. Congrats to the Hillsong music crew on another amazing album, you guys truly write music that inspires this whole [...]