Articles from the Newsleter
Churches and suicide prevention
We think of our churches as places of hope, where people gather to deepen their relationships with God and better understand His plan for their lives. Given the positive focus on the joy we feel through lives in Christ, it’s no surprise that few things trouble church...
Who in your congregation suffers from trauma?
We’ve learned a great deal about trauma in recent years, and one finding that surprises many people is its prevalence. One in five American adults has experienced trauma or its effects in the past decade. That statistic is valid across all groups, including members of...
What your church can do about the mental health crisis
If someone in your family were contending with a significant mental illness, where would you turn for help? Ask the members of your congregation, and you’ll probably hear they’d reach out to your church’s leadership. Do you know what to do … or where to turn … when a...
The church after a year of Covid
Just over a year ago, the federal government declared a state of emergency because of the Covid pandemic. Almost immediately, Americans began to remain in their homes and traditional public activities such as in-person church services began to be replaced with...
How the mask debate affects our kids
To mask or not to mask: that’s truly the question these days. We’ve all seen the TV coverage as small-town school board meetings become violent scuffles and watched as our once-friendly neighbors attack each other on social media chatter sites. Most of the debate...
When your marriage is silently struggling
Every time someone at the church sported a new engagement ring, everyone insisted the couple-to-be attend Derek and Bonnie’s Tuesday-evening marriage prep classes. “They’re so much fun!” “You’ll learn so much about making a perfect marriage!” “They really know how to...
Mental health and the church: can’t we pray it away?
Prayer and faith are powerful and effective, and anyone who has devoted time to ministry can share stories of miracles large and small. As pastors and lay leaders, we encourage the congregation to turn to prayer at dark moments and trust in God for strength during...
Leader’s lines: Leadership during the unknown
Being a church leader has never been easy, but over the last year, trying to guide a congregation has reminded me of a scene from “The Incredibles.” After Mr. Incredible’s presence in his enemy’s lair is discovered, he tries to escape, only to be attacked by dozens of...
Why is change so hard?
We know that change is a constant in life, but most of us find it difficult and frustrating. Since it’s always around us, shouldn’t we be better at handling change? Is there something wrong with us? Well, you can start by blaming your brain. Human brains are most...
Is there a way to manage the stress of uncertainty?
Uncertainty is difficult for most of us. As we go through our daily lives, we’d like to know what’s going to happen next week, next month, and next year, but life is rarely that forthcoming. So it’s a good idea to learn ways to prepare for what’s ahead when we’re just...