We have embarked into the 21st century. We have witnessed amazing discoveries in science, medicine, and technology. Despite all the advancements, some churches still permeate with prohibition of women in spoken ministry.

Maturing in biblical knowledge, it baffles me how the church ever got blindsided by the "let your women keep silent" philosophy. God has always achieved miracles, ...

My husband and I have a long history of full-time Christian service. We met through a campus missionary organization and independently joined the staff of that group. A year later, we both recognized that not only was our calling similar, but our attraction to each other was too! And so began an adventure of listening to God together.

When my husband felt that God was calling ...

Leaders—whether in church ministry or the workplace—often speak of their "calling" as a time of realization, an ah-ha moment. We knew: this is what I was made to do. This is what God has called me to. I am called to lead.

Sometimes calling creeps in like a fog—and we realize that what we've been doing for the last five years actually is our calling. Or worse, that it's not. ...

I really enjoy being nice to people.

Initiating friendly small talk with my grocery-store cashier or graciously showing patience to my overworked waitress brings me happiness. There's something about sharing a laugh with a stranger or bringing a smile to a person's face that is nearly exhilarating. I love it. I walk away with an extra skip in my step and a part of me thinks, ...

The Greece I found that Wednesday afternoon in March 2010 was not the one I remembered from my honeymoon fourteen years earlier. There were no stunning, whitewashed buildings. No lapis-blue tile rooftops. No festive music. No outdoor market with vendors selling freshly pressed olive oil, mouth-watering feta cheese, fresh cantaloupe.

This afternoon, the streets were empty, black, ...

In contrast to countercultures that separate, antagonize, or copy culture, the next Christians are a counterculture for the common good that is centered and immoveable. They don't concern themselves with popularity, what they can achieve for themselves, or whether the masses are following. Instead, they boldly lead.

Preserving Agents in a Decaying World

Christ said, "You are ...

We were a pastoral-size church (150 or less in attendance on Sundays) seeking to grow and trying a programmatic model to do so. We felt pretty good about our "if we provide it, folks will come" method. Who wouldn't want to come and check out (and hopefully join) a loving and unassuming group of Christians like us?

Except the programs didn't do what we hoped they would.

We hired ...

Nearly 10 years ago I sat in an Atlanta, Georgia, arena packed to the brim with college students. I was attending an annual conference hosted by Passion, and Beth Moore was about to take the stage.

In case you have never experienced Beth Moore's teaching outside the realm of women's events and teaching videos, it is an awesome thing to behold. I don't know if the co-ed environment ...

"My daughter's in a rough place; can you pray for her?" says one Facebook message this week.

The man with sad eyes at church stops me Sunday with a hand on my elbow. "Our marriage is in trouble. Will you pray for me?"

The requests come in person, in email, on the phone. As leaders, the needs around us can be overwhelming. But there are five people in your life—who probably ...

During the past decade, the landscape of key leadership positions within churches and non-profits has changed. The number of female senior pastors has doubled and there are more women than men leading non-profits.

Sadly, a strange dichotomy is occurring within the American church. While there are more women in key leadership positions than ever before, women are leaving the ...