The Rev. Justin Mathews works the serving line at Thelma's Kitchen, a cafe operated by Reconciliation Services.
Photos by Susan Pfannmuller
In a neighborhood long marked by the trauma of racism and poverty, Reconciliation Services is building community with an entrepreneurial but distinctly Orthodox Christian approach to mission.
Worship can be a powerful way to engage conflict, as participants discovered at this 2018 Colossian Forum event on political division.
Photo courtesy of The Colossian Forum
In a time of intense polarization, both inside and outside the church, Christians are called not to run from conflict but to engage it, drawing upon ancient practices of the faith, says the president of The Colossian Forum.
Photo by Malerapaso
Leading a congregation into the future requires understanding its story -- and helping it envision what new chapters might come next.
Julia Perez, (right) at a news conference held by Durham, North Carolina, city leaders to update the community about her husband, Samuel Oliver-Bruno, who was arrested and deported to Mexico in November. Photos by Justin Cook
After witnessing the arrest of his friend and student Samuel Oliver-Bruno, a pastor learns that he can’t be all things to all people but must instead honestly share his grief and fear for his undocumented friends.
It's in shops and streets and other unexpected places where God’s transforming "meant to be" experiences happen. iStock / Torresigner
As pastors, don’t leave the power of “God moments” entirely to chance. Help make them happen. Ask yourselves, “Where am I ‘meant to be’ this week?”
Redeemer Lutheran's annual block party is one of the many ways the church reaches out to the Harrison neighborhood in North Minneapolis. Photos courtesy of Redeemer Lutheran Church
Viewing the congregation as more than the Sunday faithful, Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis has been ‘a beacon of hope’ for nearby residents, with its focus on service to the neighborhood.
iStock / Floriana
Icebreakers are about more than small talk, says a Presbyterian pastor. In a world of increasing social isolation, they lay the groundwork for hospitality and welcome, creating common ground where community can take root and grow.
Book cover detail
In an era of intense polarization, as liberals and conservatives argue over the meaning of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life and work, a Bonhoeffer scholar considers what it means to be a disciple in the age of Trump.
Immigration is such a hot-button issue that many pastors are unwilling to broach it with their congregations. Bigstock/RodrickBeiler
Drawing on his own experiences, a World Relief official offers three tips on how pastors can help their churches address immigration in a way consistent with their Christian faith.
The Rev. Dr. Natasha Jamison Gadson at Turner Memorial AME Church in Hyattsville, Maryland. Photo courtesy of Natasha Jamison Gadson
Overcoming stereotypes and assumptions has been difficult for a female minister in a historic African-American church. But, she writes, she was not serving the people by trying to be what others wanted her to be.