BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
3 principles on Christian leadership
“Leadership is a thing,” someone recently said to me. And it’s true; leadership is a God-ordained phenomenon for relationships and accomplishing his mission. From the beginning of time, we have naturally looked to leaders - whether informal leaders like parents or teachers, to more formal leaders like Kings, generals, CEOs, or senators. We trust them to guide us, to teach us, and even to equip us for reaching a goal or accomplishing a vision. The Bible is full of leadership structures and examples. Moses was a reluctant leader, yet charged with the task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. David was a strong leader, but whose weaknesses caused great turmoil in his family and eventually the nation. Oftentimes we find ourselves in the role of leader whether we were looking for leadership responsibilities or not. As believers, how do we faithfully carry out a leadership role?
Six lessons from the Shunammite woman
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is about a woman without a name. Interestingly, we have more biographical information about her than any other woman in Scripture. We only know her, though, by the name of the town where she lived: Shunem. You may remember the Shunammite woman as the one who offered a room in her home to the prophet Elisha. Her story, found in 2 Kings 4 and 8, is a beautiful example of the Christ-like character qualities we can all cultivate.
Walking with wisdom toward outsiders
Last January, just after a Sunday morning worship service, I stopped by Trader Joe’s to buy a special dessert for a gathering of college students we planned to take on an international mission trip during the summer. It was a signature dessert from the very country we’d be traveling to, and I was excited to serve them something unique to this Middle Eastern culture. The friendly cashier commented on the new dessert they had just started carrying, asked me how my day was going and what my plans were for the afternoon. It was a wide-open door for conversation, but this is how I replied: “Oh, just buying a little food for some friends who are coming over to hang out later.”
The wonder of the incarnation
My favorite Christmas movie is Elf. It might just be my favorite movie period, the only one I can watch over and over. Something about Buddy’s “affinity for elf culture” though he is a human, as well as his innocent unawareness of the fact that he sticks out like...well, like a grown man in an elf hat and yellow tights among the working professionals of New York City, is just so endearing. If you’ve seen the movie, you know that Buddy doesn’t realize he’s a human, though nothing about the miniature elf world he’s grown up in suits him. It isn’t until falling behind in his toy production that he overhears a couple of elves whispering about him: “Well, if he hasn’t figured out he’s a human by now, I don't think he ever will.”
Prophesying out of their own hearts
Scrolling through Instagram the other day, I landed on a post that was both startling and encouraging. It was written by a Christian woman I follow and contained forthright words of biblical wisdom targeted to women. In essence, she called out our recent memorials of glass-ceiling-crushers as idolatry.
Digital camp helps students tackle challenge
For the first time in its history Crosswalk Youth Camp is going digital. Not gathering in person on a college campus for a week is disappointing to be sure, but with almost 200 teens signed up for afternoon Zoom Bible studies and evening worship services from July 13-18, it’s also very exciting. This year’s theme is Crux: Christ and the Climb of Your Life.
COVID, contentment & the Kohathites
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3)
That has been my go-to verse in many situations: being a church planter’s wife in New England, mothering three kids to adulthood, navigating difficult relationships. But a global pandemic? Never in a million years would I have guessed it would need to be applied in this challenging and confining time.
Who’s influencing you? (Or five reasons to read a missionary biography this year)
Have you recently put together a creative charcuterie board? Traveled to an unusual vacation spot? Have you donned a casual hat, some new hipster eyeglasses or matching family pajamas? Begun a new health or beauty routine? If so, it may be due to the influencer who shows up in your social media feeds on a daily basis. I opened a new set of resistance bands for Christmas, because, hey, if they work for Tom Brady and Kira Stokes, maybe they’ll work for me, too.