For many years, my Junes have been enriched by the Christian Scholars’ Conference. This year’s conference, hosted at Lanier Theological Library (Houston, TX), was stacked. The lineup of keynote speakers included neuroscientist Sharon Dirckx, theologian Willie James Jennings, philosopher James K. A. Smith, and New Testament scholar N. T. Wright. As usual, Lee Camp’s NoContinue reading “Christian Scholars’ Conference 2023”
Category Archives: News
Discipleship Groups
Discipleship groups are a core component of my ministry and spiritual life. In this post, I overview what they’re about and how they work. Transformation at the Grassroots When my family returned from Peru in order for me to pursue doctoral studies, we faced the difficulties common to long-term cross-cultural missionaries who return to theirContinue reading “Discipleship Groups”
Preaching and Teaching (January–June 2023)
Recent months have occasioned a variety of preaching and teaching opportunities. In addition to my regular responsibilities at Stones River Church, I was invited to preach in the interim rotation at the Church of Christ at Cedar Lane (Tullahoma, TN), my wife’s childhood home church, which formerly oversaw our mission work in Peru. I’ll focusContinue reading “Preaching and Teaching (January–June 2023)”
Welcome to The YARD
How does a church become missional? That question motivates my work at Stones River Church (SRC) as much as anything else. Others wiser and more experienced than I have been attempting to answer it for some time, and their writings are indispensable. But practical, feasible, local answers are elusive. Inertia is monstrously powerful, and becomingContinue reading “Welcome to The YARD”
Release to the Captives
Transitional and Homeless Ministry at Stones River Church August–December 2022 When Julie Hadlock showed up at Stones River Church last year, we were in a season of prayer and discernment about our local participation in God’s mission. Julie is an expert in transitional ministry. Following her own release after eleven months in prison (a storyContinue reading “Release to the Captives”
Stones River Updates
A New Logo Let’s start with the least important thing. There are many “renovation” efforts afoot at Stones River Church. Among the relatively superficial changes in the queue, the first is a new logo. Our preaching minister, Jon McPeters, and I led the charge on this process. Our feelings about spending time and money onContinue reading “Stones River Updates”
Back in Ministry!
This month, I started a part-time position as the missions minister at Stones River Church (SRC) in Murfreesboro, TN! SRC is a small church of about fifty adult members, and the leadership has graciously stretched our budget to the limit to make this support possible. At present, my responsibilities are limited to 10 hrs./wk., butContinue reading “Back in Ministry!”
Mission Journal Archive
Mission, a journal associated with Churches of Christ that was published from 1967 to 1988, has been fully digitized by Mac Ice and the team at Abilene Christian University Special Collections. I wrote about Mission a couple of years ago when the project began, and Missio Dei published a few other articles about the journalContinue reading “Mission Journal Archive”
In Memoriam Don Haymes
Because truth is hard to come by. I didn’t know Don, but he was a legendary provocateur among my tribe and therefore a hero to me. Here’s to more sheep in wolves’ clothing. Below are his portrait of one moment in the history of Churches of Christ and an article titled “The Silence of theContinue reading “In Memoriam Don Haymes”
Reformation Day 2017
I was going to say “happy Reformation Day,” but then I read Stanley Hauerwas’s Washington Post article. He’s right: division is not to be celebrated. Reform is, though, even if it’s not usually a happy process. As a member of the Stone-Campbell Movement, I stand in a tradition of reformers. As a student of Scripture,Continue reading “Reformation Day 2017”
Scripture & Mission 