(Check out our podcast episode on why and how to fast for Lent, too!)
According to a recent Barna survey, 41% of Christians follow the liturgical year “very closely throughout the year,” with more people following it more loosely. This seems to represent a growing number of people over the past few years, according to informal conversations we have with those we coach and train.
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday (February 26 this year), and lasts until Easter Sunday (April 12th this year).
Reading, both widely and deeply, is a vital discipline for any leader. But reading is especially important for the Christian leader, because our way of leadership (following Jesus) isn’t just pragmatic. It’s a inherently theological pursuit that demands we reflect deeply on our relationships regularly.
We asked some of our team to give us a few favorite books from 2019, and we’ve got a list below, in no particular order. (Note: these aren’t necessarily books that were released this year, just books we happened to read this year.)
How do we respond when people we love and care for are questioning faith? Perhaps they’re beyond questioning and have actually left Christian faith, like the recent public announcements from Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson.
How are we to respond to when loved ones are questioning faith? Our friend Fr. Kenneth Tanner has some words of wisdom:
[Read more…] about How to Respond to Those Who Are Questioning Faith
The article below is a reflection by Chuck Bosworth, Pastor for Worship Arts at Cherry Hills Church in Springfield, Illinois. Their pastoral staff went through a coaching and consulting process with Gravity Leadership a couple years ago, and we asked Chuck to write down some of the reflections he shared with us about one of his discipleship groups.
Here’s a VERY common question we get about missional communities: What do we do with the kids? This is a really important question, but for reasons most people don’t guess.
[Read more…] about What Do We Do With Kids in Missional Communities?
