BCNE News
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The year of trust
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). I recently came across a New Year’s resolution I had written during my junior year in college. They were short and sweet aspirations written out as prayers to God. In addition to listing some lofty health goals, I also asked God to help me prioritize my quiet time and trust Him more, especially with my future.
Seven pivots for the church revitalizer in the new year
Every new year brings its challenges and pivots. I have been challenged to pause in the many pivots I have had to make as a church revitalizer and reflect on how God wanted me to lead. The pivots that we have faced in recent months have taught us many essential lessons for future revitalization.
Winter reflections
January is a busy time of celebrations. It is the start of a new year, and the month we will hold YEC (Youth Encountering Christ), the BCNE’s winter weekend conference for teens. This month both of these things are on my mind.
Welcome, 2021!
Those dreaded New Year’s resolutions, ugh! In a normal year we might make five or six commitments to do better in various areas of our lives in the New Year, only to break most of them by the end of the month. We all know it’s true, even if we don’t want to admit it.
Three books to hack your 2021
“Auld Lang Syne” swells in the background as you sweep the last bits of Christmas into storage, making way for countdowns and confetti. It’s time to break out your fancy glasses and talk about the dreams you plan to turn into goals, pandemic or no pandemic.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a handful of resources tailored to multiply every ounce of energy you put into meeting those goals? A way to get the biggest bang for your buck?
After Christmas, what?
After the anticipation of the holidays, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable or restless as we try to settle into a new routine. So, what’s a person to do after Christmas?
In Luke 2:21-40, we get a glimpse at some of the things Jesus was doing after the very first Christmas. Perhaps they can lend us counsel as we start off the new year.
Starting fresh with God
Several years ago when I was a college student and home for the holidays, my parents held a New Year’s Eve party at our house. My younger teenage brothers invited some friends over, some of my college friends joined us, and my parents had some adult friends there, too. At some point during the evening, my brothers and their friends headed to watch the ball drop on the TV in the den while the rest of us stayed in the living room to watch the other TV.