The answer is no one, and it ought to define how Christians gather. NT Wright said, “[The family of God] was of course characterized and marked out by one of the best-known features of Jesus’ work: his open table-fellowship … eating with ‘sinners’ was one of the most characteristic and striking marks of Jesus’ regular activity … Jesus was celebrating the messianic banquet and doing it with all the wrong people. Jesus, then, created a new symbol, which drew into... Read more

Almighty God, You have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Read more

By Kelly Lyngaard. I’ve fallen in love with a local ministry, The Walter Hoving Home, that my church supports. The Hoving Home is located in Garrison, NY (also in Las Vegas and Pasedena, CA). It is a residential, spiritually-based rehabilitation center serving women ages 18 and over who have been involved in drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, and other life-controlling problems. Their mission is to rebuild women’s lives that have been shattered by addiction. The Hoving Home is an independent 501c3... Read more

From Arise, a publication of Christians for Biblical Equality, and at the link you can meander around to find their very fine publication, The Priscilla Papers. After graduating from Florida State University, Chelsea Boetcker taught math at a high school in the inner city, where she developed a passion for working with abused teens. Chelsea is now working on a MA in counseling at Reformed Theological Seminary and hopes to later pursue a PhD in theology. I remember the first time... Read more

Northern Seminary is sponsoring a tour to Turkey and Greece to visit the sits of the apostles Paul and John. And I will be the lead teacher. Our tour will be nearly two weeks long and we will visit major cities and sites. The tour also will include a marvelous stop at none other than gorgeous Santorini, that lovely Greek island, and we will have daily Bible studies focused on the life and mission of the apostle Paul and some... Read more

Lawrence Smith: What creative moves between churches have you heard? LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Preservation Louisville has listed it as one of the city’s most endangered sacred spaces, but an historic church building is about to be resurrected.The church was built in 1910 and has been home to Lampton Baptist Church since the 70’s. There have been no services there in more that a year, but that is about to change.It’s one of Louisville’s most impressive structures, and is listed on... Read more

A post by Tammy Melchien, another Good News story about women in ministry. I’ve been on the staff of COMMUNITY Christian Church here in the Chicago area for over 12 years (Dave Ferguson is our Lead Pastor and we have 13 sites in the city and suburbs). While we still have a ways to go in being intentional about developing more women for staff leadership ministry, COMMUNITY has always been a “permission-giving” place in my experience. In fact, 4 years... Read more

For more on Adelita Garza. Read more

Andrea Lucado: I sat in a church I’d never been to on Sunday. It was different from the churches I typically attend for a few reasons. It was much smaller. It didn’t start on time. It was a different denomination. And the big one, the demographic, as far as social class and age, varied greatly, and I wasn’t in the majority. I was there with a friend who sat by me and explained that this church happens 24/7. Sure, they... Read more