Tony Kummer’s four foundations for children’s ministry:

What are the real essentials in Children’s Ministry? What core values should transcend your curriculum and ministry methods? I am constantly asking these questions to myself. When the children I teach this Sunday turn 30 what will really matter in their lives? Here are what I consider four essential foundations for all church based ministry to children…

What shopping carts have to do with the gospel:

Our selfishness and arrogance show up everywhere. I am too important to have to take 32 seconds to return a shopping cart.  Serve me, slave!  Don’t ask me to serve you.  If sin is so pervasive in my soul, then surely a savior is required.  I cannot save myself if my deepest and first instinct is to serve myself, not serve others.

Jared Wilson has 11 innovations for the church today. Included in the list are: “Talk about sin”, “Sing hymns”, and “Preach through a book of the Bible”.

Learning to live with less:

Ministry leaders are just the ones to help Christ followers exchange big for small. After all, leaders are supposed to help usher others toward something better (not just something bigger), so maybe we should start ushering folks toward living lives that are less hectic, less cluttered, less selfish, less toxic. And maybe instead of a big ad campaign advertising “LESS!” we should start living with less ourselves. Instead of just preaching it from the pulpit, maybe some personal choices would help slow down the growth, bring some sanity to our lives and make the world more livable.

I’m grateful for Chris Castaldo’s review of Holy Subversion:

I can’t adequately express how excited I am about this book. It’s well written, substantive, and prophetic in its application. If you’re looking for a clear, readable text on discipleship, one that will help you to search and destroy the idols in your soul, look no further.