Author: ourCOG

5 subtle misconceptions of leaders

Here is an incomplete list of “little foxes that can spoil the (leadership) vine”. I can do my own thing. A leader’s “thing” is not her own. Her thing is her followers’ thing. Followers are why leaders exist. Apart from them, a leader has nothing. Any leader that forgets this is history, and a forgotten [...] »

Guest blog: Backroom Theology by Jonathan Simmons

Guest blog: Backroom Theology by Jonathan Simmons

I remember the first time I made a living wage from vocational ministry.  It was actually an internship in Knoxville, TN.  Ironically, most internships do not normally pay for all the blood, sweat and tears required for the role but this one did.  Regardless, it was all I had time for and I wasn’t earning [...] »

Living on Sabbath Time: Day 26/31

Living on Sabbath Time: Day 26/31

Numbers 11:24 (New King James Version) 24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD… Earlier this summer Sonja and I visited the Billy Graham library.  It was a very inspiring afternoon and I highly recommend it for everyone.  One section that really ministered to me was the area that [...] »

Junk In the Back Yard

Laila and I took our seven grandchildren to my childhood home---the community of my maternal kin. There are several country roads that converge upon the only main road passing through the community. Once upon a time the intersection hosted a general ... »