Rules of attraction
Faith in Action

Rules of attraction

Congregations are always trying to find out the rules of attraction. I don’t use the word “attractive” to indicate “hip,” “trendy” or even aesthetically pretty, but a cluttered building does…

Stronger together
Mission & Ministry

Stronger together

This past Pentecost Sunday, the day the church hears anew how the Spirit blew into a gathering of Christians to bless and unify them, Kelly Moore’s brand-new red stole was…

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Faith in Action

I want my kids to watch me doing this

There are plenty of things I don’t think my kids need to see me doing. Some of them, they will see anyway. Others I might succeed in keeping private (but…

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Faith in Action

Blessed to be a blessing

When people arrived for worship March 4 at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church, Plano, Texas, they knew something was up, but only the congregation council and staff knew that every family…

Living up to our name
Faith in Action

Living up to our name

Our names—and the stories behind them—matter. Since I moved to the United States, my naming story has never been more important to me. My name carries the story of my…

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Faith in Action

Take faith outside

If we want our children to recognize God at work in their ordinary lives, we need to talk about God in ordinary places. Our church is trying something new this…

Haircuts and hope
Mission & Ministry

Haircuts and hope

Some students at the New LIFE School in the South Bronx, N.Y., use razors and scissors in addition to pencils and pens. The 10 students are learning to be barbers,…

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Mission & Ministry

Health volunteers offer care, encounter grace

“We were infused with the grace of God right away and it carried throughout the day.” Nothing was going right in the neonatal intensive care unit at Arusha (Tanzania) Lutheran…