New England Perspectives
A regularly updated collection of articles written by New England leaders and thinkers. Looking for news articles? Click here.
Faith Over Fear
A few weeks ago, my friends and I were talking about safety and fear. One friend shared how she is always prepared for a disaster. She’s thinking through safety protocols, searching for emergency exits, and just waiting for disaster to strike. That is definitely not me. I wouldn’t say I’m careless, but I definitely am not consumed by this fear. However, if you could see my thoughts, you might realize that I’m much more controlled by fear than I’d care to admit.
For the love of comfort
Obedience as a navigational tool
It all began with three pastors from Ridge Baptist Association in South Carolina coming to Vermont for a vision trip in February 2022 – yes, major snow season in Vermont. We had so much fun visiting pastors and churches during those few days. There was an emergency pulpit need that one of them covered and God showed His Favor upon this potential partnership in a mighty way during those few days.
Lessons in Legos
I didn’t grow up building with Legos. As a matter of fact, the only thing I knew about the little blocks of plastic was that they really hurt if you stepped on them while walking. But that changed over Christmas break. My godsons received Lego sets, and I got my first glimpse into the building world.
The power behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream,” speech. Though it was not his first speech on racial equality in America, it was the speech that provided a pivotal moment that changed the way people in our nation thought about the issue. As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I think it is worthwhile to take a look at that speech again.
Reflection questions for a new year
“So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalms 90:1
At the end of every year and the beginning of a new one, I like to take some time to pause and reflect. This can be really beneficial to help me have a better picture of where I am at the moment, celebrate past wins, and resolve to make any necessary changes, among other things.
How to develop volunteers for restorative ministry
The comment I get the most is, “You are successful with your outreach, because you have a high number of volunteers”, and that is true. But, it isn’t luck, random opportunity, or some extraordinary ability either. Often pastors are discouraged from starting restorative ministries because they believe they are already overworked and they don’t believe they will be able to gather enough volunteers to do the work. So hopefully I’ll be able to inspire a few of you to trust God in this, in less than 600 words.