We make resolutions because we want to bring change to bear on our circumstances. We want to improve ourselves and our quality of life. And the top resolutions, for most people, tend to revolve around the same three poles: money, health and family.
Dr. James Emery White
The Year 2023 in Review
This is the time to recap the year that was. And what a year it was. There are a number of ways to do it, many that are interesting.
Joseph and Mary: Raw and Unfiltered (2023)
There are at least two overlooked aspects of the story of Joseph and Mary. Yet knowing about these two dynamics to their life adds even more wonder to the Christmas story.
Yes, Virginia (2023)
In 1897, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was asked by his then eight-year-old daughter, Virginia, whether Santa Claus really existed. He suggested that she write The Sun, then a prominent New York City newspaper, because “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”
Authentic
Sometimes, when a dictionary announces its “Word of the Year,” it’s trying to put forward a word that was newly created to match a new cultural dynamic, or a word that describes something popular or what was significant to the news cycle.
Ready, Aim...
It’s one of the most well-known leadership declarations in combat that, once started, almost anyone in the English-speaking world can complete. The one in charge yells, “Ready! Aim!” and then, yep, “Fire!” But it’s not just the right progression of things on the battlefield. It’s the right progression for any number of leadership situations.
1984 or Brave New World?
Research shows that in the U.S., for every one pro-Israel TikTok video that is viewed, 50 pro-Palestinian videos are viewed. TikTok says that this is just a mirror of wider society; in other words, it is what people want or how people feel.
Giving to Christ at Christmas (2023)
So once again this Christmas, I’ll do all I can to encourage people to give to Christ. That means I also want to encourage you to do the same through whatever local church you are a part of. I know that you are bombarded with requests to give to a number of causes over the holiday season. Many might be worthy, but most will not represent truly giving to Christ.
The Hybrid Strategy for Growth, Part Three: Get Connected
Today, people want to belong before they believe. You need to get them connected as soon as you can after you invite them to come and explore, because only if they are connected will they stay long enough to consider embracing the faith.
The Hybrid Strategy for Growth, Part Two: Come and See
As a step, this isn’t novel to anyone’s thinking. You build a relationship, and then invite them to attend. But what do you invite them to attend? For Meck, for years this was an invitation to a weekend service. During that service we would do everything we could to have it be welcoming, engaging, explanatory and inviting.
