What Church Membership Looks Like

In his book The Pastor, Eugene Peterson describes his wife Jan's understanding of what it means to be a pastor's wife. As I read Peterson's ...

Rock Climbing Trip Reveals How Friends 'Raise Our Game'

Sometimes true friends don't just affirm and comfort us; they also "raise our game." That's what happened to Richard Dahlstrom when ...

Psychiatrist Identifies the "Gauntlet of Silence" Among Men

In his book Invisible Men, Dr. Michael E. Addis tells the story about meeting a middle-aged man named Patrick. Although by all accounts Patrick was an ...

Worshipping with People We Didn't Hand-Pick

Writer and NPR commentator Heather King, a recovering alcoholic who has come to faith in Christ, reflected on her initial experience with the church:

My ...

Four Distorted Images of the Church

The following list contains four distorted images of the church:

• The church as a gas station. For some people today, the church is a place where you fill up your spiritual gas tank when you're running low. Get a good sermon, and it will keep you going for the week.

Brazilian Leader Provides a Lesson on Friendship

Pastor Michael Woodruff recalls:

Americans are good at many things, but being friends and sharing life is not one of them. Our iconic figures—the ...

Honest Feedback Helps Us Grow Spiritually

Trying to grow spiritually without hearing the truth about yourself from somebody else is like trying to do brain surgery on yourself without a mirror. ...

Actions of One Soldier Affect Everyone in the Platoon

For fifteen months journalist Sebastian Junger followed a single platoon of U.S. soldiers stationed in a dangerous part of Afghanistan. Living and working ...

The Positive or Negative Influence of Friendships and Small Groups

An article from Wired Magazine explored why AA has been able to help millions of people recover from an alcohol addiction. The article begins by stating, ...

Author Wendell Berry on the Perils of Individualism

Novelist, essayist, and farmer Wendell Berry has a unique image for the perils of individualism. As he was walking with his friend Wes Jackson, they observed ...