One Unified Voice

“We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord!” Chills run down my spine. One unified, strong, and hauntingly beautiful voice completely surrounds me. But it’s 120 voices that sing—120 who are one body, ...

Formed by a Christian Home

I’m not the son of a pastor. My grandpa was not a pastor. My great-grandpa was not a pastor. You get the picture. As a child, I didn’t dream about serving in the public ministry. ...

A Case for Character

The Lord Continually Forms His People For Service

The Lord is always at work. He never takes a vacation.  Jesus told the Jewish leaders persecuting him for healing a man on the Sabbath, “My Father is always at his work to this very ...

A Manual for Creating Atheists

Lay Leader Continuing Education Support

The support of lay leaders is a critical element of encouraging spiritual and professional growth among pastors and other called workers in all their God-given callings (spouse, parent, friend, neighbor, etc.) Providing such encouragement is ...

Changes to the STM Program in 2023

Perhaps you have heard through the grapevine that changes are coming to the Masters of Sacred Theology (STM) program. That is true, beginning in January. Here is a short summary of what it all means…. ...

Psalm 128

On Sunday morning, do you ever watch your members as they arrive for worship? Do they come by car? By bicycle? On foot? When I served as a pastor in Japan, people came by all ...

The Ecumenical Luther

Psalm 112

As pastors we serve the people entrusted to our care. We also serve each other, in various ways, including these: word-and-deed encouragement to each other and prayers for each other. Psalm 112 is a beautiful ...