By popular definition, a culture is a group of people who hold similar beliefs and practices. God designed a culture for soul care. Biblical fellowship (Greek koinonia) describes the culture in which soul care can thrive because it is a context for intentional spiritual growth. Continue Reading →
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Are we more than the sum of our memories? In Karen Martin’s Memorable Loss: A Story of Friendship in the Face of Dementia (Christian Focus, 2023), the author shares her journey to focus on a person, not a disease; a loved one living with memory loss, not a dementia victim; and a friend’s present and future, not just her fading memories. Continue Reading →
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What can churches, particularly lay people, do to reach out to people with disabilities and their caregiving families? Let’s consider reframing soul care ministry from a church building to a home or care facility so that we can minister faithfully to individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Here’s a biblical, simple, and potentially effective ministry model based on three related suggestions. Continue Reading →
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In growing numbers, I receive calls from families of a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They tell me, “We’re leaving our church because we do not feel welcome,” usually provoked by their child disturbing church services. When I try to make reasoned biblical appeals to stay, they respond, “We’ve tried, and we do not feel wanted.” Some tell stories of church members or even leaders asking them to leave the church. This problem is already significant, and it is growing rapidly with the seemingly exponential increase of people diagnosed with ASD. Continue Reading →
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Identifying Heart Transformation follows David Powlison’s How Does Sanctification Work (Crossway, 2017) and complements it in helpful ways; in particular, its aim to clarify what the heart is in Scripture and how all true heart change occurs. To David Powlison’s factors of sanctification change (truth, suffering and struggle, wise people, and God), Nate Brooks adds a wealth of perspective on details of change. Continue Reading →
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