It’s Friday, but . . .

This Sunday will be the most unusual Easter we have experienced in our lifetime. We will not dress up in our spring outfits or gather with others at a church building.  We will not be together with family to enjoy an Easter egg hunt with the kids or eat a lavish meal.  We will not [...]

Coronavirus: What the Church Can Learn from the Black Death Pandemic

In the mid-1300s there was a pandemic so virulent that it killed 75-200 million people in Asia and Europe. Called the Black Death, an estimated 40-50% of Europe’s population died from it during a four-year period. In certain countries the death toll was closer to 75-80% of the population. It took centuries for the population [...]

An abundance of . . .

Churches are being advised to provide hand sanitizer for all visitors during the coronavirus crisis, yet no hand sanitizer can be found.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  One of my friends, who is a Baptist pastor, found a recipe for making your own sanitizer.  Only one problem: It required 190 proof vodka and you [...]

Practice Safe Church

COVID-19 is an unprecedented crisis we’ve not seen in our generation.  Churches and ministries are faced with some tough decisions in the coming days.  How do you continue ministry in times such as this? How is the Church to respond?  Below are some examples of things churches can do beyond providing hand sanitizers in your [...]

Certification in Recovery Ministry

Rockbridge now offers a certificate in Recovery Ministry, both at the undergraduate level and at the graduate level.   Participants will develop valuable leadership skills for ministering to those struggling with hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Students who complete these five courses will receive a Certificate in Recovery Ministry. Developing the Focused Life (Touchstone) Required 1st Recovery [...]

Reflections of a Church Closing

Reflections of a Church Closing, by Corey Tabor (MML 2016) Last year, my wife April and I shared with the small group of partners remaining in Full Life Community Church, that we were closing the church. Our youngest daughter Charis was less than one month old and April was still on maternity leave. After nine [...]

Spiritual Formation as Journey – Part 6 of 6

On the journey you become aware of your vulnerability Some years ago, I hiked the Na Pali coast on the island of Kauai with my wife and young adult children. From previous hikes, we knew a rainstorm on the mountains can cause hypothermia.  Failure to drink plenty of water leads to dehydration.  Each day on [...]

Spiritual Formation as Journey – Part 5

The Journey Invites Reflection What I enjoy most about hiking and camping is the opportunity to reflect upon my life.  The pilgrimage provides quiet moments for introspection. Reflection is an important spiritual practice in theology as Nouwen encourages: I propose here the discipline of strenuous theological reflection.  Just as prayer keeps us connected with the [...]

Spiritual Formation as Journey – Part 4

Telling the Story of the Journey Whether it is told sitting around the campfire, or explained with pictures to friends back home, each hiking experience has a story.  Stories are the means by which we communicate the truths we learned about ourselves and others.  Cole writes, “their story, yours, mine—it’s what we all carry with [...]

Spiritual Journey as Formation, Part 3

The Journey is an Experience, Not a Spectator Sport Part 3 of a 6-Part Series Some years ago I hiked the Na Pali coast on the island of Kauai with my wife and young adult children.  We did not learn to hike the Na Pali Coast by attending a class at our nearest mountain equipment [...]

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