In this episode we discuss race, Anabaptist churches, inner-city missions, and whether or not one should change their lifestyle in order to better connect with other cultures.
Episode #006: Keeshon Washington on Anabaptists and City Missions
Tag: church
Unfeigned Christianity, Episode 003: Stop Blaming Women! A Conversation with Merle Burkholder on Sexual Sin
A few weeks ago I sat down with a long-time family friend and casual mentor of mine, Merle Burkholder, to discuss men taking responsibility for their own sexuality.
Unfeigned Christianity, Episode 002: A Conversation with Trudy Metzger about Sexual Abuse
In this podcast, I sat down with Trudy and talked with her about how the church can best care for its victims.
Everything That Frustrates Me about the Anabaptist Tradition
There is a deep stirring among many today who have grown up in conservative Anabaptist churches. I write this series to help us, at least in some small way, sort through things we’re wrestling with. In my last article, I wrote about everything I love in the Anabaptist tradition. In this article, I’m going to share things that frustrate me.
When Christian Aid Ministries Made News as a Sex Scandal
I knew it was only a matter of time until this issue hit on a much larger scene then it has until now. I just never knew it would come through such a high-profile organization as CAM.
Everything I Love about the Anabaptist Tradition
Most people who struggle with their Anabaptist upbringing aren’t actually struggling with Anabaptism. They’re struggling with their church’s expression of Anabaptism. Here are seven more positives I love about the Anabaptist tradition that are not as clearly a part of other church traditions:
5 Remarkable Benefits Black Christians Give to the Church
Most of us don’t consider ourselves racist. But one way we accidentally express racism is by not recognizing or appreciating the benefits other ethnicities bring to the table in the church. In talking with black friends, I have discovered there are five remarkable benefits black Christians give to the church that we often overlook.
Do Valentine’s Celebrations Help or Hinder the Church?
As a married person, dating person, or single person, Valentine’s Day can help each of us remember the love we all long for. We all want a place where we can belong. We want a place where we are cherished and valued, respected and admired.
People follow relationships; not compelling beliefs.
As I listen to story after story, I realize the church has a crisis of relationships—we have a crisis of connection. We don’t stay at a church because of what it believes. We stay where we develop relationships. We stay where we find community.
When we are looking for “life,” what do we mean?
What if the feelings and tensions we feel at the surface—too focused on externals, not allowed to use instruments, too robotic, not kind enough—are actually pricking at something much deeper in our souls that we don’t have the words to describe…so we use the word life?
How we think about the Bible is shaped by more than we realize.
We are all shaped by way more than we realize when it comes to how think about the Bible, about God, and about life.
When people walk away from something, it begs the question “Why?”
When I listen to those who are leaving, I hear of young people whose parents never allowed them to question what the church did; or who, when they decided to leave, were told they were a great disappointment to their parents.
