Justice Anderson writes, “In the early stages of the church, mission was more than a function; it was a fundamental expression of the life of the church.” In other words, the proclamation of the Gospel naturally grew out of early believers’ identity in Christ and their...
A few years ago, Leslie became enamored with the Mitford series, a collection of books that focused upon the ministry of a small-town, Episcopal priest who was affectionately called Father Tim. Every evening, I would find her consumed in her literary pursuit as she moved from page to page, and I...
Elimelech. His very name made a statement of faith—”My God is King.” Indeed, it was a confession of trust in God’s sovereignty over all circumstances and situations. Elimelech. What a wonderful name! Unfortunately, names do not always reflect the hearts of men. As we...
For the past few years, our Temple family has joined Samaritan’s Purse in what we call Operation Christmas Child. The stated mission of Operation Christmas Child is “to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local...
Leadership. Through the years, God has certainly blessed us at Temple in this area. I know! Because I get to work closely with these men and women daily! Our staff is committed to Christ’s mission both personally and professionally. They get along (praise the Lord!), and they are...
Every day, the church finds itself facing new cultural challenges that attempt to define its ministry and identity. Just this week, I have had conversations with others concerning legal and ethical dilemmas we are facing in our churches. Whether it is confronting abusive behaviors in our...
What a great Night of Worship & Renewal we had this past Sunday night! For those who attended, it was a tremendous time for us to lift our collective voice in prayer and song. We truly poured forth both praise and petitions before our Lord! It was powerful! And what’s more, I was...
One of the greatest privileges we have as believers is gathering together for corporate worship. Every week, we have the opportunity to join with our spiritual family to exalt our Father and glorify His name. How awesome is that! I often think about our weekly gatherings and pray that such...
We now refer to them as “The Seven,” a group of men who stepped up to serve the early church at a critical moment. Remember the story from Acts 6? As the number of believers grew, so did its needs. Unfortunately, some congregants (e.g. Hellenistic Jews) felt as though they were being...
At our recent Senior Adult Luncheon, Becky Brown challenged the audience to leave a legacy for the generations who follow them. And then she stated pointedly, “If you are going to leave a legacy, you must live a legacy.” Wow! I just sat there as that declaration smacked me in the...
