An Overlooked Flock
By Terry Mattingly - While working on the 1985 book Habits of the Heart, the late sociologist Robert N. Bellah met “Sheila,” who described her faith in words that researchers have quoted ever since. “I can’t remember the last time I went to church,” she said. “My...
A Journey in Discernment
By Jennifer Jones - I almost didn’t go on the “GreenLight” mission trip. I had already participated in a fair number of short-term mission trips and had already visited the country where the team would be going. I was concerned whether the experience would...
Poverty at my doorstep
By B.J. Funk As a girl, my mother thought nothing about bringing people off the street to her kitchen for a hot meal. I remember the rancid odor from their bodies, the dirty clothes, and the toothless smiles of gratitude. There was no reason to be afraid. My sister...
Speaking to the heart and head
By Duffy Robbins As a young college student and a relatively new Christian, I still remember devouring Josh McDowell’s book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. It had just been released, an almost encyclopedic inventory of facts and historical references that gave...
For the cause of unity
By Rob Renfroe In the last issue of Good News, we reported that representatives of several renewal and reform movements within the United Methodist Church had met with the Bishops’ Task Force on Unity. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how we might move...
The march of the Last Responders
The march of the Last Responders By Steve Beard April 23, 2010 They weren’t taking any chances. For Super Bowl Sunday, the historic St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans called the Vatican to seek permission to replace the Papal flag over the front entrance of the...
The marks of Christ and his Church
Archive: The marks of Christ and his Church By Jason E. Vickers The United Methodist (EUB) Confession of Faith identifies four marks of the church: oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. These four marks are not original with the Confession of Faith. They...
Actualizing the Holy Spirit
Archive: Actualizing the Holy Spirit By Shane Raynor I have a deep conviction that the answer to many of our struggles in the Christian faith lies in our understanding of the Holy Spirit. The walls we often hit (and who hasn’t hit a spiritual wall at some point?)...
