Spirited Stand for Peace
Marc Henkel and the group from the Peace Campaign were camped out at the corner armed with water, snacks and gospel literature just as they had been every Friday night this summer when a pop, pop, pop echoed a few blocks away. “We didn’t know if it was gunfire or fireworks,” Henkel, the co-team leader […]
In the Meantime …
As a child, I had to walk 10 to 20 minutes to get to school. In sunshine or rain, sleet or snow, and we had all of that weather. When I was especially cold and wet, or my shoes hurt my feet or I had to go to the bathroom, I would count off the […]
God Likes Me Better
I put my faith in Christ as a child of 10 at a church youth outreach. The gospel was explained to me by a young woman who, along with her husband, would later be a missionary in Peru. I still have the letter she wrote explaining the decision I’d made and encouraging me to continue […]
Victory Blooms Over Death
“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us — a crucified God — must become our wisdom and […]
The Work of Christmas
Christmas seemed to fly by, and we’re already into a new year. My poinsettias are fading, all the brightly colored lights have disappeared and it’s as if Christmas never happened. Despite my distracted attempts at a personal Advent — in the midst of meetings, letters, doctor’s appointments and illness — I feel that I missed […]
Dealing with the Christmas Blues
In the remaining days before Christmas, don’t forget to reach out to those in your circle who may be brokenhearted.
Lament: A Path to Compassion
There is much to lament in today’s world but, through prayer, we can start to see the world through God’s eyes of tender mercy and compassion.
Bypassing the Neutral Zone
Hopefully, you enjoyed a joyful celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection with family and friends. Now that the brightly colored eggs, jelly beans and chocolate bunnies are eaten, I find myself needing to extend the season of Lent and its lessons for me. At the beginning of 2023, I began thinking about waiting on […]
The Amazing Grace of Perseverance
William Wilberforce lay sick in bed, a serious illness keeping him from his duties as a member of England’s Parliament. Just a year earlier, Wilberforce, a newly converted Christian, entered a long period of prayer and self-questioning, and vowed to fight the slave trade on the national stage. He was following the lead of his […]
Close Encounters of the Uncomfortable Kind: A List of 5 Don’ts
Editor’s note: Today, we feature the final installment of our four-part series, “Close Encounters of the Uncomfortable Kind,” with a list of 5 suggested ministry don’ts. In Part 1, we profiled Cru® Inner City staff member Nate Wood’s interaction with a homeless woman in his neighborhood. In Part 2, Nate showed us 7 tips on how to build […]