Bright Light In Montgomery
By Steve Beard - The sun was bright and unforgiving as I paid my respects at the gravesite of Hank Williams on a bluff in Montgomery, Alabama. A cowboy hat would have helped. The heat was a far cry from the dreary night of January 1, 1953, when much of the South was...
Prayers When Things Are Dark
By Tish Harrison Warren - It was a dark year in every sense. It began with the move from my sunny hometown, Austin, Texas, to Pittsburgh in early January. One week later, my dad, back in Texas, died in the middle of the night. Always towering and certain as a...
Wesley and Apologetics
United Methodists working for renewal have a new ally in the fight against doctrinal amnesia and the ever present pull of the post-Christian cultural tide. Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, recently launched their new Master of Arts concentration in Apologetics. Classes began in the fall of 2010.
Too Bland for Our Own Good
Jon Stewart got a big laugh recently on “The Daily Show” when he said the United Methodist Church “is like the University of Phoenix of religions”—inferring that being a United Methodist is as easy as getting an online diploma. In other words, you don’t have to show up in person. You don’t have to work very hard at it. And as long as you pay your dues, you stay in good standing.
Vital Women’s Ministry—Vital Church
As we begin 2011, I bring important news regarding the future ministry of Renew. Beginning January 1, Renew will become its own separate 501c3 non-profit organization. Renew will continue to collaborate closely with the ministry of Good News, as we have for almost 20 years. As the Good News office completes its transition to the new location in Texas, Renew will be making some transitions as
What to Teach
By Duffy Robbins As I confessed in the last issue of Good News, somewhere around the 10 year point in my own youth ministry experience, I began to realize that I was teaching on some of the same topics over and over again, and there was really no plan guiding me....
Malaria: The Great Invitation
Each and every day, God sends out invitations, invitations to make a difference in someone’s life. These invitations are delivered in many different ways, but often times we miss them. We’re too busy, too distracted. What if the invitation were more obvious? What if you were reading one now? You Are Cordially invited to save lives today. Could you ignore it?
“Advisory group on steriods” tackles reform
United Methodist leaders have created a team to put the finishing touches on a plan aimed at increasing the number of vital congregations in the church. The new Interim Operations Team will be an “advisory group on steroids,” said Neil Alexander, president and publisher of the United Methodist Publishing House and co-chairperson of the Call to Action Steering Team, which includes clergy and laity.
