Listening to the Distressed
What is the “new thing” that you have perceived God doing?
People who visit our campus adjoining the national park who are lonely, widowed, out of work, distressed – they are looking for support or encouragement.
How are you cooperating with God in this activity? How can other Christians and congregations help?
We have a retail outlet (The Cabin Shop) which welcomes these people. Volunteers are friendly but we truly need a “chaplaincy” to support these folks. Read more 
Transitional Refugee Housing
What is the “new thing” that you have perceived God doing?
Welcome Home is a new ministry between Prince of Peace and LCFS. Welcome Home is a house next to Prince of Peace that God is turning into transitional housing for refugees.
How are you cooperating with God in this activity? How can other Christians and
congregations help?
I think God woke us up to this ministry. POP sold the property a few years ago, the new owner fixed up the property beautifully. He turned the 2 bedroom house into a 4 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms. When he asked for too much rent and couldn’t rent it, he gave POP a nice discount. POP couldn’t do it, but God could. Read more
“SBNR” – A Starting Point?
Amy Thompson Sevimli, assistant to the bishop in the ELCA’s Metro DC Synod, writes at Call & Response that people’s identification as “spiritual but not religious” can be a starting point for faith-filled conversation, if we listen first:
I firmly believe that the best way we can connect people with God in Christ — and with the way we worship that God in church — is by first listening to their spiritual story and only then telling our own. Often, they are more willing to listen to us than we are to them, usually not bored by us but fascinated by our faith and our willingness to give voice to it in a day when many are not. Spiritual but not religious is not an impediment to that conversation but an invitation if we are willing to accept it.
Called Out of the 4 Walls
What is the “new thing” that you have perceived God doing?
Calling us out of the 4 walls and into the community. Calling us to get to know our neighborhood – not just our church membership.
How are you cooperating with God in this activity? How can other Christians and congregations help?
Looking for ways to be more engaged within the community – using the teachings of Transformational Ministry with our leadership and congregation. Read more
Five Cultural Shifts You Should Pay Attention To
Over at Duke Divinity School’s Faith and Leadership blog, Presbyterian pastor Carol Howard Merritt writes about some trends that church leaders should be paying attention to, particularly in relation to younger (emerging) generations. Her top five:
- Younger generations aren’t faring well in this economy. How do we handle money/debt/success, and are giving expectations realistic for them.
- Young workers often don’t have the choice to take Sunday off. Do we have opportunities for them to engage in community and worship at other times? Read more