There are great churches with great programs, great ministries, and outstanding volunteers. We all love churches like that. But more than what a church has to offer me, what I really want is to feel connected with a group of people, to find a place of belonging, and do life together.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all
nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
The Psalmist encourages us to pray for Israel, but believers may not fully appreciate the reasons why God instructs us to pray specifically for Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Yet, our motivation to pray for the peace of Jerusalem is embedded in the very words of the Psalmist themselves:
It’s no secret that millennials aren’t exactly flocking to churches these days. There are theories and statistics, but the fact remains the same: Our churches aren’t a place millennials tend to call home.
A lone guitar chord echoes across the room as more than a hundred Israeli soldiers rise to their feet to ask for help. With outstretched hands they reach toward the heavens and like David the warrior Psalmist they cry, “We are surrounded by enemies, but you Lord are able to deliver us. With you O Lord, I can be a brave soldier.”
I’ve been participating in the life of a local church for over four decades. For most of these years, I’ve either been the pastor’s kid, the youth pastor’s wife, the children’s pastor, or the elder’s wife.
