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Engaging the “Other” Young Adults in Our Congregations
What if, in our journey to reach college-aged young adults, we’re missing the “other” young adults that are already in our midst– and who are ready to lead? Over the last 8 years, I have worked with college-aged young adults both in the church and on campus. Over that…
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The Pilgrimage from Graduate Sunday: 7 Ideas for Congregations to Stay Connected
Yesterday, in many churches across the nation, high school seniors donned their cap and gown and “crossed the stage” of our sanctuaries. The service framed by their achievement, the sermon charged their future, and the gifts celebrated that they’d made it to the end of one great journey, and to…
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At the Intersection of Death and Love | Reflections on Ash Wednesday
Today is an odd day. On the one hand, today is Ash Wednesday: a day we focus on the finality of death, the realization that our lives are short and headed toward an end. But, juxtaposed against that, is that today is also Valentine’s Day: a day we celebrate the…
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4 Misconceptions About Adopting from Foster Care
When we began our foster-to-adopt journey in 2015, we had a lot of questions- and misconceptions- of what the path ahead entailed. We’d heard the “horror stories,” and seen plenty of TV shows detailing the realities of the foster care system. There were a lot of things we thought we…
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Officially Three: Making It Official
They say that adoption is all about waiting for the unpredictable. You sign a ton of documents, mail your life away, and wait so long that it starts to feel like nothing is ever going to happen. You wait and wait, and wait until, one day, you get that phone…
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Campus Ministry During the Summer
“What DO you do when students are gone for summer break?” It’s a question that every Campus Minister is inevitably asked at some point or another. It’s true that a Campus Minister’s schedule changes as students pack up their dorm rooms, load up their cars, and drive off to other…
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On Mentors, Identity, and Turning 30
Tomorrow, I turn 30. As an introvert (INFJ, for those that care about such distinctions), it is only fitting that I spend at least a few minutes reflecting on the last decade of life that was my twenties. Ten years ago, I leapt from my teenage years with excitement and…
