TCT – Local Update
I have learned over the past many years of ministry that God is often at work just as much in the slow unnoticed steps of preparation as in the big publicized events. There is something that happens in those tough [...]
Getting Started: Who to Help
Put a face to that label. That is the challenge I face today. I know “who” to help, that one is rather easy: the vulnerable. But I sometimes struggle to really know who to help. Let me explain. The Bible [...]
Responding to Poverty: Who’s right, Luke or Paul?
Luke 3:11 says: “And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 2 Thess. 3:10 says: “For even when we were with you, this we [...]
The Church’s Role in Helping the Vulnerable
Several years ago I was involved in a ministry at a local church that gathered food and distributed it to various ministries in our city. These ministries sought to serve the low-income families of the community. I remember the first [...]
Snacks, Security tags and Sams Club: My Journey with a Refugee Family
We met Palash, Dawa and their family through Lutheran Social Services in November of 2014. They came to the US after having lived in a Nepali refugee camp for over 20 years. Their son Gopal was born there and Dawa [...]
Understanding Worldview is Like Selling Forks
Imagine with me for a moment that you were in the business of selling forks. (It’s kind of a crazy analogy but just bear with me) Your work takes you to a country called India where you have heard people [...]
Jesus in the Face of the Poor: Will you pass the Test?
A few months ago I was talking to an acquaintance who owns several rental properties in town. He mentioned to me that one of his homes was open and that he was fielding phone calls from those interested in renting [...]
Restoring God’s Beauty
Think for a moment about some of the most beautiful things you have seen. Maybe a mountain range, field of flowers, a baby’s smile or a sunset spread across the sky Now think for a moment about some of the [...]
Linking Arms for Justice Sake
I remember hearing a story in the spring of 2011 during the Arab Spring in Egypt about a group of Christians surrounding a group of praying Muslims in order to “protect” them from violence during their prayer time. A short [...]
When is the Work Finished?
Have you ever started a project that seemed to never end? You start out with such excitement and satisfaction, ready to give it all you have. With a dream in mind you are motivated and driven to do it. But [...]