General

Summer is the perfect opportunity to jumpstart a connection revival in our neighborhoods. Two years ago, I began being intentional about reaching out and getting to know those who lived around me and discovered that organizing one thing each summer month helped to get things rolling and enhance connections with my neighbors. Can you imagine? Some of them I met for the very first time even though we had lived down the street from one another for as many as 14 years! I bet you can relate. We are living increasingly isolated lives. But even the smallest effort to move...Read more …

What do you think Jesus meant when He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself?” Why not find out by getting to know yours better this summer!  One way to do this is by hosting (or co-hosting with another neighbor) a neighborhood cookout, BBQ or summer fresh dessert night! Here are some tips for your event: If a cookout doesn’t work where you live, make the party or dessert a potluck–everyone will enjoy contributing by bringing something to share. When your guests arrive, give them large nametags. Have them write their name in the center. Then in the four corners, ask them to...Read more …

In the opening scene of the movie Pay It Forward, a 7th grade Social Studies teacher is talking to his students on the very first day and asks his class, “What does the world expect of you?” One student responds, “Nothing.” Teacher asks another question: “What if you don’t like what the world is? What if it’s a big disappointment?” Another kid responds, “Then we have no chance.” But the teacher believes the students can grab control and make something of the world; they can flip what they don’t like over and literally turn the world upside down. That’s when he...Read more …

Wherever I go, the biggest concern for living incarnationally is about time: “Hugh, I get this, and I know I should be more intentional about all of this, but I’m just so swamped I can’t imagine having consistent time or energy for people.” My response is always the same: “Anyone has time to be a part-time missionary.” A missionary is just a “sent on.” And the story of God sending people to bring hope to the world didn’t begin or end with Jesus. When Noah and His family needed hope for a new life, God sent an olive branch. When...Read more …

This is Walk the Way. Brought to you by Q Place. I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. In the movie The Terminal, Viktor Navorski – Tom Hanks – flies to the US. But while en route, there’s a coup in the country where he’s from and when Viktor lands at JFK in New York, the US refuses to recognize his country and forbids him entry. He can’t go home, either. So, Viktor takes up residence in the airport and, for the rest of the movie, we witness his airport limbo life. Are we Christians just like Viktor Navorski? Are...Read more …

The other day, I was manning a booth for our church at a local “Taste of…” event when a middle-aged guy came up and asked me, “How can I get rid of my sins?” Right then, I suddenly realized I didn’t like any of my answers to that question. I had officially lost my elevator speech. I fumbled and danced around the issue, partly because he was clearly baiting me. He was obviously a Christian guy who, for whatever reason fancied himself the Chicagoland doctrine police, and I felt like he’d thrown down the gauntlet, and here I was, with...Read more …