Pressing on the Upward Way: How God Shaped the Life, Love, and Faith of My Father-in-Law

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."Psalm 143:10 I recently had the bittersweet privilege of delivering the eulogy for my cherished father-in-law at his memorial service. As I pieced it together, I listened as the family filled in many details, and those …

Why Bother? The Most Important Question about Intercultural Competency

In May, I had the opportunity to lead the faculty and staff of Concordia University Irvine into consideration of how they can make their intercultural efforts as a Hispanic Serving Institution effective, satisfying, and sustainable. I created this video to recap the main content, addressing cultural intelligence theory, grounded theory research, border crossing concern, and …

Non-Profit Boards: Love May Be Free, but Trust Must Be Measured

Love . . . bears all things,believes all things,hopes all things, andendures all things.(I Corinthians 13:7 NASB)[i] always protects,always trusts,always hopes,always perseveres.(I Corinthians 13:7 NIV) [ii] In the oft-cited passage nicknamed the โ€œlove chapterโ€ of the New Testament, one tiny phrase has always forced me to pause. Like a spot on a familiar garment where …

Biopsy of a Suspicious Mass: Diagnosing a Problem in the Affirmation of Women

I've been trying to diagnose an illness in my denominational body for quite some time: an observable failure to thrive among many women who are called, prepared, and robustly fit for ministry. Just as doctors sometimes seek to define the nature of a suspicious lump by examining a limited sample through a biopsy, I understand …

Cultural Bias Gets a Bad Rap–and Why It Shouldn’t

One of my favorite professional responsibilities is teaching about culture, often for people serving in Christian ministry. I'll venture to say that my courses and workshops are creative, transformative, and fun. But lately, in places where I used to stand in carefree confidence, energized by the sunshine of happy students and the breeze of Holy Spirit …

Global Partners

We are well-acquainted with GP, a Wesleyan hub for sending and supporting Christian workers around the world. Two specific needs that GP coordinates are especially important to us. This post is part of a nine-part year-end giving series on organizations we love. GP: Kevin and Cindy Kevin and Cindy with our son Pete in the …