The intentional leader

Here’s one thing I have discovered about leaders in any culture: They’re just a bit more intentional and strategic than the other folks. I watched a leader in Honduras who had a very relaxed way of making connections with people. He’d drop by, talk for a while. In the...

Who are we precluding from worship?

When I was a pastor, I would think about the numbers of people who legitimately can’t come to church on Sunday mornings: hospital workers, police, firefighters, etc. Their schedules preclude Sunday mornings, and I’m glad for it. I want them to be available for...

Scanning the horizon for what’s changing

I happened to be talking with a friend of mine who owns a bike store. He told me that historically, Thanksgiving through Christmas was a major busy season. He barely had time to ride—it was crunch time for taking orders and assembling bikes. Now it’s different. It...

Lost in translation

When the Chevy Nova was released in Latin America, it didn’t sell well at all.  Turns out that Nova in Spanish—or “no va”—means “it doesn’t go.”  Not a good name for a car. No wonder sales were dismal. In the same way, when you are doing ministry in another culture,...

If you don’t enjoy it here, go home!

“If you don’t enjoy it here, go home!”  That’s the advice Carlos (formerly Chuck) has for missionaries. To be an effective missionary, we don’t just need to understand the culture. We need to embrace it and enjoy it. Jesus engaged the culture he lived in. He went to...