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You’ve probably heard people talk about mentally/emotionally gearing up for the return to work near the end of their vacation. Maybe you’ve experienced it. I can’t speak for other professions or other types of work, but in ministry leadership, we don’t exactly get to lay down our call to ministry when we go on vacation. … Read more
Vacation isn’t just an opportunity to catch our breath, it’s also an important opportunity to recalibrate! When I think of recalibration, I think of recalibrating a battery (e.g., a laptop or cell phone battery) — occasionally, you need to fully drain it and then recharge it (at least, that’s how I understand it). Colors on … Read more
Our vacation, which started yesterday, is a time for catching our breath! That’s especially true for this vacation. We’ve been through a whirlwind in the last few years that included both of us completing a doctor of ministry program, adopting our first child from Korea, and moving. In fact, completing and defending our dissertations, going … Read more
In a recent post about bonding, I referred to an article at adoptivefamilies.com, which includes the following statement … Attachment and adoption seem inseparable to many parents. In fact, attachment is an ongoing process for all parents and children, one that generally takes from 10 and 14 months and continues to evolve over a child’s … Read more
In my last post, I blogged reflections from Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Bishop Robert Schnase. In this post, I’ll share some practical ideas that are coming out of Centre Grove church council’s discussion of the reading. Earlier this week, we talked about what we’re currently doing in the area of faith development (including … Read more
Centre Grove’s council has been reading, discussing, and acting on Bishop Robert Schnase‘s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. So far, we have completed discussion of one of the practices (Radical Hospitality) and we recently started on a second (Intentional Faith Development). In this chapter, Bishop Schnase stresses the importance of learning together in community. He … Read more
As we prepare for our second adoption, we’re again thinking about the importance of bonding, particularly in those first days, weeks, and months with the new baby. Adoptive Families magazine has articles devoted to bonding. I think the article, Your Baby, Yourself, is especially helpful in talking about the importance (and challenges) of bonding for … Read more
While our conversation on Radical Hospitality is mostly behind us (Centre Grove church council), we’re still working on some of the practical steps (primarily adding directional signs, which have been completed, and revamping our welcoming ministry of ushers and greeters). We’ve named our ministry of ushers and greeters “First Impressions Ministry” (not original with us). … Read more
A few months ago I wrote that I would read Eugene Peterson during Lent. Unfortunately, my reading got pushed out for a while out due to the work we had to do for commissioning (as Provisional Elders) and I’ve just recently gotten back to reading Peterson’s Eat This Book. Usually, I read a book as … Read more
For Ethan’s birthday, we set up a place for him to play in the backyard — Ethan’s Fort. Ethan enjoyed helping Daddy build the fort. Now that it’s up, he enjoys climbing and sliding, as well as looking out over the fence into the outside world. It looks to be a favorite summer activity!