In my role as the Director of Innovative Evangelism in the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area, I have the privilege of working with a diverse group of congregations throughout Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Since we are located in an incredibly diverse region, I do get asked a lot for help with leading evangelism …
Read more “Ethical Evangelism: Sharing Faith with Integrity”
In a world filled with billions of people, it’s easy to feel insignificant, like a single drop in an ocean too vast to impact. But history and storytelling remind us time and again of the profound influence one person can have. As I was flying home from vacation, I had the opportunity to watch the …
Evangelism is a word that often elicits mixed emotions, especially for those of us who are United Methodists. For many, it conjures memories of encounters with judgmental zealots, overly aggressive preachers, and individuals who seem more focused on converting others than on genuine connection. Consequently, it’s not surprising that some of us, and particularly millennials, …
By Tom Bandy Many of you may have read the Easter opinion column by Ross Douthat in the New York Times: “It’s Easter 2050. Here’s What American Religion Looks Like”. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/30/opinion/easter-religion-america.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare. It’s a good article, and I have been reflecting on it from the point of view of demographic and lifestyle change. The writer predicts …
Recently I reread a classic text, “The Way of the Pilgrim.” This work was written by an unknown Russian author and is a profound exploration of spiritual searching and devotional practices. It is set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russia, and follows an unnamed pilgrim, who describes himself as one who: “by the grace of …
This is my third post in a random series of articles dealing with hospitality. I’ve spent time on this topic because it is so critical to church renewal and vitality. How we welcome the “other” is a foundational lesson of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. A few weeks ago my wife and …
This week I received terrible news that a young man I mentored from the time he was 8 until he graduated from high school was killed in a senseless act of gun violence. I met Tyejuan in 2007 at my first job out of seminary. I was the program manager at The Southeast White House, …
I’ve just been through a humbling season in my life. After 54 years roaming this planet, I fractured some bones for the very first time. At the end of September, as a result of a fall during my morning run, I fractured my big toe in two places and my left collarbone in two places. …
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and a meme jumped off the screen at me. It posed the following question: “What does the Church need to unlearn?” I shared this in one of my clergy colleague Facebook groups and here are some of the responses: Wow…I’m sure this list could go on and …
As the song lyrics remind us, it’s “summertime and the livin is easy.” There is something about the rhythm of summer; schools are on break, for some work schedules are slower and people pile onto planes, trains and automobiles (and don’t forget cruise ships) to venture to familiar and new destinations throughout the summer months. …