vantagepoint3
Page: 2
During our VP3 Webinar: Barriers to Spiritual Growth on Wednesday, I was struck by the panelists’ and audience’s interest in discussing busyness as a chief barrier to maturity in our faith communities. I found myself later in the afternoon returning to the question, what does a busy pace do that so frustrates our maturity? It seems the relationship of busyness to […]
Like many of you, I’ve worked through The Journey a few times with groups of wonderful people. I’m in my fifth go round, still learning, still working through my personal journey, this time with a new group of friends. Today I read something I’ve read before (at least four times, anyway), and it spoke to […]
“The church is always more than a school… but the church cannot be less than a school.”[1] Historian Jaroslav Pelikan included these critical words on the first page of his five-volume history of Christian doctrine. Around VantagePoint3 circles, we would tweak Pelikan’s language a little bit by saying—the church is always more than a […]
Things were very different just 500 years ago. The Bible was available in Latin – ordinary people like you and me did not have access to the Scriptures. That didn’t seem right to William Tyndale. We all recognize his name – the man who defied the King of England to translate […]
An important question we all need to be asking ourselves is, “How deeply rooted am I with God?” How blessed is the man Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, […]
I have a friend who recently completed The Journey. She grew up in church and has a strong legacy of faith. Yet in the midst of The Journey, something happened – she began to see things from a new vantage point . . . Reclaimed! Just this week I grabbed a swanky paintbrush along with […]
“Teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 Short thought this time… A few weeks ago I was leading two Facilitator Retreats; one in Olympia, Washington and two days later in Warwick, New York. I found myself emphasizing to both groups of pastors and lay-leaders the […]
This is an excerpt from session one of A Way of Life. It bears repeating for me, and maybe for you, too. There is a story of a five-year-old boy and his mother, who every night put him to bed. She came into his room to talk to him, and to tuck him in, […]
Alice Shirey has had the opportunity of facilitating over 40 folks in multiple A Way of Life groups over the past two years. These are people who have completed The Journey and taken the next step to walk through our A Way of Life process. I asked her to reflect upon what she had been noticing in these […]
So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Regent College’s James Houston once commented that within the evangelical Christian world we have spiritual maps and […]
The Journey takes time. That issue makes some of us hesitate because we are always looking for quick fixes. But what are the results of “quick fixes?” Seldom are they long lasting. The Journey sets the bar pretty high. That’s what sets it apart, I believe. We need time for growth. True discipleship doesn’t take […]
One definition of the word “catalyst” is “a stimulus to change.” What happens when someone becomes a catalyst for any type of change? Maybe you’re the catalyst in your home for a change to healthier eating. Or maybe you’re the catalyst in your church for a move toward more intentional discipleship. I recently […]