The Youth Vision column will continue with new experiences and new lessons worth sharing. In these seasons of Advent and Christmas, we celebrate the God of new beginnings. The arrival of Christ on earth, in the form of a babe in a manger, marked a new beginning for humanity. When a person responds to God’s … Continue reading "The God of New Beginnings" Read the article
In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon reminds us that everything has a season, including a time to die. While this reality can bring us sorrow and be hard to accept, it is the natural order of things in this present evil age. We have hope in Jesus that one day death will be no … Continue reading "GenMin Sunset" Read the article
When I worked for the Boston Public Schools, I had several school-based afterschool program directors assigned to my department. One of our directors was approached by a local bank representative who was trying to be helpful. In an effort to be charitable to the 60 elementary-aged students in our director’s program, the bank rep offered … Continue reading "The GenMin Webinars" Read the article
In 1992, Andrew Grove, then CEO of the tech giant Intel, was quoted by The New York Times as saying that the idea of a “wireless personal communicator” in every pocket was “a pipe dream driven by greed.” As I write this article, I have a “wireless personal communicator” in my pocket, and you may … Continue reading "Jesus and TikTok" Read the article
Ordinary Time is a good season to connect our neighbors to our congregants and congregations. According to the Christian calendar, we are in the midst of Ordinary Time — a time when many Christians focus on discipleship and our identity as the sent people of God. This is a good opportunity for congregations to reflect … Continue reading "The Signs of the Times" Read the article
Every family – regardless of what it looks like – should be treated with honor, respect, and love. Many people across the U.S. will be celebrating Father’s Day this month. As a dad, I don’t look forward to Father’s Day for the gifts. Although, I do like the gifts! Rather, I look forward to the … Continue reading "“Normal” Families" Read the article
The “church” includes all – Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, children, teens, and adults. At the end of this month, we will celebrate Pentecost, the day the church was born. Luke describes the event in Acts 2: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly … Continue reading "They ARE the Church" Read the article
Youth often come to believe that Jesus is out of reach. Easter reminds us he is not. On Easter morning, a group of women went looking for Jesus’ tomb. These dedicated disciples sought to honor Jesus by treating his body according to Jewish custom. When they got to the place where his body was laid, … Continue reading "Alive and at Work" Read the article
Teaching the joy of spiritual practices. If you are anything like me, you have heard some interesting teaching on the spiritual disciplines. One preacher taught that all Christians had to pray for one hour on their knees every morning to have an acceptable devotional life. To this person, prayer was a transaction — we give … Continue reading "Finding Rest for Their Souls" Read the article
The ways in which we guide the misbehavior of young people says something about who God is to us. When I worked at the South Boston Boys and Girls Club, there was a little girl named Jill who decided to be my shadow. This would be a sweet story except that Jill was an angry … Continue reading "Guiding Behavior Like Jesus" Read the article
