Through the study of Ephesians this week my eyes were opened up in new ways to a truth that I had understood but it seemed much more real in my life than ever before. Eph. 4:11-16 speaks about how God is doing the work of growth in peoples lives by giving the tools to other people so they can do the work. Henry Cloud has said, To be truly Biblical, as well as truly effective, the growth process must include the body of Christ.” There is nothing new about or earthshattering about this thoug... Read Full Story

I spent some time meditating on Ephesians 4:11-16, here are some of the words of Paul from this passage."But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. And He himself gave some to be apostles, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measu... Read Full Story

Wikizines are interactive magazines that anyone can create or edit - and this one is called "Small Groups". Here you can find fresh voices and respond in real time. Some members write articles about recent news and trends related to the wikizine's topic, others recount relevant personal stories or share their favorite pictures and video clips. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this wikizine? Well, then put on your journalist's cap and add your... Read Full Story

There is alot of talk in the Small Group world about "the empty chair" Now, the empty chair is usually a reference to every small group always having room for another person to join them. I do want to make a point though that an empty chair is not always an open chair. It is always easy to have an empty chair or make a reference towards an empty that could be filled but the idea of an "open" chair is a little bit different. The use of the word open is more than just a ... Read Full Story

"Your words have been arrogant against Me, says the Lord. Yet you say, What have we spoken against you? You have said, 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also test God and escape.' Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book... Read Full Story

I read this in a book recently."One of the lasting influences of the Crusades is the necktie as a symbol of Christianity. Those leaving on the Crusades were often given a scarf as a remembrance by those left behind. When the Christians went into battle in the Holy Land, they knotted the scarves around their necks, enabling them to tell friend from foe. Over time, the Crusaders' scarves became today's neckties. Although most christians are unaware of the historical significance of... Read Full Story

This week I happened to be looking through some of my old syllabi from college and I came across some very interesting things that are relevent when compared with Bruce's message last Sunday.I studied missions in college and ended up taking alot of classes related to understanding culture and how to live and communicate not only to your own culture but also to other cultures around the world. One of the first steps to understanding other cultures is to learn how your own culture affects y... Read Full Story

Currently I am a part of several spiritual families. Two of them are official spiritual families and the others are informal relational networks that make up the system of spiritual support and encouragement in my life.As I think about my spiritual families what strikes me is how different each one of them are, yet how they are each full of strengths and importance. The leaders are different in each group, as well as the members of the group, the activities and personalities but each group ha... Read Full Story

Common UnityEncouragementFamilyStanding up for one another "Invincible", which is a movie that came out last summer illustrates very important relational needs that we as human beings have. For those of you who have not seen the movie, Vince Papale is a down and out bartender who tries out and makes an NFL team. What makes this movie special is that Papale finds community in a bar located in south Philadelphia. Each of his friends that he hangs out with in that bar provide commu... Read Full Story

It seems all the talk these days in Northern Indiana is the Bears and the Colts. Even my friends Abe and Lisa who could care less about sports, particulary football, found themselves turning on the Colts game last Sunday afternoon. The Super Bowl is a crazy event that seems to pull the vast majority of Americans to the television to watch the game, sports fans and non sports fans alike.When I first started watching football the top teams in the NFL were the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. S... Read Full Story