January 2007
11 posts
2 tags
Preaching Re-Imagined - Book Review
I just finished Doug Pagitt’s Preaching Reimagined - The Role of the Sermon in Communities of Faith, a book we’ve been assigned to read for Senior Staff at the INN which evaluates the current standard for preaching in most churches. Overall it was a pretty easy read with a few challenging ideas. Pagitt claims that the role of preaching has been taken over by what he calls...
3 tags
Presbymergent
So, you’re Presbyterian? You’re into that “emergent” stuff too? Sounds like an interesting combination. Maybe there are others like you. Adam Walker Cleaveland and Karen Sloane came up with this new website/community called Presbymergent. The idea behind the site is to provide a place for PCUSA members, lay people, pastors, etc. who are interested in the...
1 tag
Weekly Reflection - 1/28/07
A couple days late, but maybe the weekly reflection is better suited for being a weekend thing, since we tend to have Friday or Saturday activities at the INN that are worth talking about. Or maybe I get wrapped up in what’s going on and I forget. Either way, here’s to another week. I just looked back through and this is my eighth weekly reflection on my first year at the INN. The...
4 tags
FPC2 - Congregational Summit, Part 1
Yesterday I had the privilege to take part in the first of two congregational summits at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Part of a current vision and evaluation process, this summit brought together about 75 members of the church community to discuss the future vision for the church and begin to brainstorm ideas for moving forward over the next 5 years. The day began with a discussion of...
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Weekly Reflection - 1/19/07
Welcome to another weekly reflection on my first year in ministry at the INN. The quarter is now in full swing and there’s been a lot happening over these first couple weeks. We had our winter dance, which despite the cold, icy weather, had a decent turnout of students. We also had our first mission trip training last night, where Karen (my co-leader) and I met with our team for the first...
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Weekly Reflection - 1/12/07
It’s quiet around the office this afternoon, the quiet before and after the storm. It’s been another week of cold and snowy weather and tonight we are having our Winter Dance. Cold weather and prom dresses — what a great combo. We’re all back here at the INN and in full swing. The whole staff had a great break (about 2.5 weeks) and there’s a feeling of excitement...
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WWU Freshmen Blog
Do you remember your first year of college? How about your first year at Western Washington University? I know there’s a few alumni out there who might appreciate this: the WWU Freshmen First-Year blog. As a part of their expanding first year programs, designed at connecting students with the campus community, working out the transition into school, and making connections with each...
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Glad to be back
Ahh, the academic break. What a wonderful thing. I don’t intend to gloat to my fellow working world friends out there, but after a year in the “real” world, it is much better to be back on the academic schedule. Winter break was quite nice. And now, it’s really good to be back. I’m just getting home from the first INN of the quarter. We had a great night and it was...
3 tags
Goodbye Room2Think
Last year, when I worked for Logos Bible Software, I had the opportunity to be a part of the formation and marketing of a brand new side business for the company — Room2Think. Logos had the great idea to use some extra office space and transform it into a creative meeting space for local businesses, non-profits, and other groups to use for off-site planning days or staff retreats. It was...
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Book Review - How (Not) to Speak of God
I’ve spent a fair amount of time reading this break, catching a chance to finish up on a few that I’d started and prepare for a book discussion with some good friends in a week or so. One book that I’ve been slowly go through with a couple of small group leaders this last quarter is How (Not) to Speak of God. I originally heard about the book from the Pomomusings blog this last...
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Awakening Doubt
Whether it’s the prolonged exposure to the 4 walls of my apartment, the dreary weather, the disconnection from church and work over break, or my recent studies in atheism, I’ve been experiencing a bit of doubt over the past couple weeks. Funny to think it was Christmas only two weeks ago, because I feel very far away from the joy and anticipation of that season. My faith has...