As churches have reopened since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many are reassessing which activities to resurrect and which to drop, especially in kids’ ministry. For many, this is a time to restart afresh. Teachers and volunteers have a chance to ask “How do I teach Sunday school effectively?” instead of the usual question, “What are we doing next?”... continue reading
Any movement in society that wishes to persuade and convince others of the rightness of its cause should be willing to hold itself up to scrutiny. (This applies no less for Christianity than any other worldview.)... continue reading
Read Day 1 of A Jesus Easter, a new family devotional from Barbara Reaoch. These easy-to-lead devotions start by looking at Genesis and take us through the Old Testament to see how Easter was always part of God’s amazing plan for his people. The remainder look at the Easter story itself, helping families to experience the full joy of our resurrection hope.... continue reading
“Jesus loves me, this I know.” It’s a sweet sound when words about Jesus come by heart to even the youngest child. Simple truths like these help kids start to see the beauty of the gospel.... continue reading
We may have only glimpses of Jesus’ habits and personal spiritual practices in the Gospels, but what we do have is no accident, nor is it scant. We know exactly what God means for us to know, in just the right detail—and we have far more about Jesus’ personal spiritual rhythms than we do about anyone else in the Bible.... continue reading
As King of kings, and Lord of lords, and Glory of glories, Jesus is worthy of many crowns.
Because of how it helps me admire and marvel at Jesus, one of my favorite hymns has long been “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” written by Matthew Bridges in 1851. In my own life, it’s one of the few hymns that has been a common thread from one church to another.... continue reading
Bitter experience has taught you not to let your hopes rise too high. Perhaps you have a faith in Christ and you feel uneasy that you find life so hard, so you wonder whether it should be like this. Is it okay for Christians to be discouraged?... continue reading
Joseph named his second son “Ephraim,” which sounds like the Hebrew word for “fruitful.” He gives his reason for choosing this name in Genesis 41:52: "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." My first reaction to this name was negative. I didn’t want to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. I wanted my affliction to end. ... continue reading
One boy was left on the carpet. Everyone else had been picked for a team game by a friend, but he was left all alone. He didn’t lift his eyes when the kid’s ministry worker assigned him to a team and reminded the other kids to “be kind.” My heart hurt for the little guy.... continue reading
How does prayer shape a marriage? We asked Michael and Melissa Kruger to share how prayer has fit into their 25 years of marriage. With 3 kids and full-time ministry roles, the Krugers offer realistic insight for busy couples. ... continue reading
