Debbie Fulthorp: For a little over five years, I served as a lead pastor. I loved this position, but circumstances beyond my control (here is my story) have placed me on the other side of the pulpit these past few years. My search for a lead pastorate as a woman remains daunting. As a former lead pastor and now candidate pastor, I’d like to offer ten strategies that churches can implement toward the full inclusion of women in leadership. These... Read more

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever.... Read more

The Bible in the Contemporary World: Interview with Richard Bauckham Richard Bauckham is professor emeritus of New Testament studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He is also senior scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and a fellow of both the British Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is the author of many distinguished works. The following interview revolves around Professor Bauckham’s book, The Bible in the Contemporary World. David George Moore conducted the interview. Dave blogs at... Read more

Mark J. Perry: Has the middle income sector shrunk? Yes. Where did it go? Upward! Bottom Line: Over the last nearly 50 years, one of the most impressive (and unreported) gains for US households has been the three-fold increase (from 8.1% in 1967 to nearly 25% in 2014) in the share of high-income US households earning $100,000 or more per year, which accounts for the declining share of low-income and middle-income households (by two different measures). Yes, the ranks of... Read more

Source: [London School of Economics, LSE] Overseas volunteering is also extremely popular amongst students. Making a difference whilst forming new friendships in an exotic location; who wouldn’t be tempted by that? Volunteer tourism, voluntourism, volunteer travel, or overseas volunteering, call it what you like, has experienced massive growth over the past ten years. It’s seen by many as a rite of passage in modern times. But with such growth have come problems. Understandably volunteers want to volunteer to make an impact... Read more

By John Frye Priority of Passion Immediately intrigued by One-T Scot’s suggestion, it fascinated me to select some books that created landmark moments in my spiritual journey. One-T nudged me to think of life-shaping books. Like most of the One-T Saloon community gathering at Jesus Creed, I am a bibliophile. Given the choice to do anything else and read a book, I choose the book. (This does not jibe well at times with my outdoorsy wife, Julie, but we’ve made... Read more

Like Chris Wright’s stuff on God’s mission? Check this out: Chris was exploring a biblical theology of mission, engaging along the way with contested ideas of mission, and criticisms of his own approach as outlined most fully of course in his magnum opus The Mission of God. Some notes and observations of the half-day conference: – and these do not therefore represent exactly what Chris said but one person’s interpretation .. Both terms ‘holistic mission’ and ‘missional’ are useful but... Read more

One of the blogs at BioLogos is run by Jim Stump, formerly a professor of philosophy at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN, now senior editor at BioLogos. I first “met” Jim virtually when he sent me a copy of the book Blackwell Companion to Science and Christianity, that he co-edited with Alan Padgett.   I have since had the privilege of speaking with him in person on several occasions. I wish I had a better picture to post, but to... Read more

The Bible you carry is a political act. By “Bible” I mean the Translation of the Bible you carry is a political act. Because the Bible you carry is a political act the rhetoric about other translations is more politics than it is reality. The reality is that the major Bible translations in use today are all good, and beyond good, translations. There is no longer a “best” translation but instead a basket full of exceptional translations. The world in... Read more

From USA Today: Washington, D.C., is the fittest city in the United States for the third year in a row, according to a ranking of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country. The nation’s capital was closely followed byMinneapolis-St. Paul and Denver as the second- and third-fittest of the 50 metro areas, according to the American Fitness Index.The ninth annual ranking came out today from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation. Washington’s low rate of smoking pushed its ranking... Read more