by Amanda Box I saw the movie Wonder yesterday, which tells the story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. Because of the irregularities of his face, Auggie wears an astronaut’s helmet much of the time to avoid the stares and awkward comments […]
By Grady King – When a child throws a temper tantrum it’s obvious. When a parent chooses to appease the child to control the tantrum, the child is in charge. If the parent reacts, expresses anger, the child will push the button again. And the cycle continues. Without guidance, teaching and modeling of what is […]
Authors : Grady King
by Grady King – It’s my life to be helpful to leaders and churches. It’s both blessing and burden. Prayerful, humble listening, observing, and analyzing goes with the territory. So does “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4.15)—passage about relationships, character, maturity—of growing up in Christ. It’s not always comfortable and there is plenty of […]
by Grady King – I have seldom met a church that did not say, “We’re a friendly church!” or “We welcome all people.” Here’s the truth. Most churches consider themselves more friendly than they really are, and every church has a sophisticated screening system of who is welcome and who is not. I am fortunate […]
Authors : Grady King
Tags : Healthy Church
By Grady King – As a young preacher I was told, “We like you but we’re looking for someone with more experience.” As a middle aged preacher I was told, “We really need a younger preacher who can connect with our young couples and be here a while.” And after age 60, the lines on […]
Authors : Grady King
by Grady King – Others know it. He doesn’t. The way he comes across as a leader is hindering his effectiveness. His blind spots are obvious to others: controlling, defensiveness, over-talking, blaming and failure to take responsibility. In short, he lacks self-awareness and is at risk of being told by his elders, “We have decided […]
Authors : Grady King
by Grady King – We don’t fail. We learn. These five words give hope thanks to my missional friend, Pat Keifert. What are you learning as leader from failure? Most church leaders I know fight a sense of failure. No matter the public rhetoric of trusting God, working hard even those good day experiences, often […]
Authors : Grady King
by Amanda Box – I saw a news story not too long ago in which a mother left her young children in the car unattended. I confess, all I know about this news story is the two minutes of video that I saw on the news, so that is precious little information. Possibly like […]
Authors : Amanda Box
by Grady King – Since January of this year, I have been blessed and challenged to be in twenty-seven churches with Hope Network. From rural, to urban and suburban ranging in size from 50-1,000. Recently, on a Sunday, I got to sit and not stand. It’s my way of saying I was not the preacher […]
Authors : Grady King
by Grady King – I went to high school with friends who were Creek Indian. Their burial grounds were sacred. They were no mere cemeteries—simply holes in the ground. These sacred burial sites were a blend of Indian traditions, fused with Christianity and the spirits of the “old ones” were respected in this sacred […]
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