The word “Advent” derives from its Latin root meaning “the coming.” This references the coming of Jesus, the greatest gift to mankind. A tradition that evolved from this anticipation is the Advent calendar. Each day of the Advent season leading up to Christmas Eve is marked on these special calendars with scripture, poems, small gifts, etc. There are so many …
Give Someone a Reason to be Thankful
I often find myself, when in a bad mood, using my many blessings as a means of upliftment. It’s hard to stay upset when you are thinking about all of the wonderful things God has given you, whether it be family, health, career, love, deliciously chocolatey desserts, etc. As we get ready to celebrate a holiday dedicated to such thinking …
Team Building is Biblical
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”—1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NIV) The Barna …
Hos-pi-tal-i-tee
noun the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way. If we look to scripture, we can see an abundance of text that point to the exact importance of hospitality and serving the needs of others, whether in our homes, at an off-site event or at a typical church service. Life by …
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
When it comes to church and money, people get very uneasy and tend to shy away from the discussion altogether. I just don’t understand this. Jesus talked about money all the time! In fact, 15% of everything Jesus ever taught was on the topic of money and possessions. God feels so strongly about how we should handle our money, that …
Stages of Group Development Part 4: Performing
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT: FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, AND PERFORMING In the last part of our series we are examining the pinnacle stage of development, performing. If you have not read the other blogs in this series, you may wish to catch up here: Forming Blog / Storming Blog / Norming Blog The stages of group development were first talked about by Bruce …
Stages of Group Development Part 3: Norming
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT: FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, AND PERFORMING In part 3 of our series we are examining the stage of norming. If you have not read part 1 or 2 of this series, it would greatly benefit you to take the time to catch up: Part 1 Blog and Part 2 Blog. The stages of group development were first talked about by …
Stages of Group Development Part 2: Storming
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT: FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, AND PERFORMING In part 2 of our series we are examining the often misunderstood and frequently hated stage of storming. If you have not read part 1, I greatly encourage you to! In it, we define the word “group,” and explain the necessary first step in a group’s existence. The stages of group development …
Stages of Group Development Part 1: Forming
STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT: FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, AND PERFORMING In examining the Stages of Group Development, one first has to establish what a group is. The word “group” possesses such a wide-range of meaning, it is important to define what we are talking about. The idea of a group can fall into two broad categories. For the rest of this …
The In Motion Volunteer Program
The benefits of volunteering are well-established. Studies show that senior citizens who volunteer generally live longer and have fewer health problems than those who do not. Senior volunteers often possess a greater feeling of well-being, a deeper sense of community, and a stronger perception of purpose. The “IN MOTION” program at Lake Williamson Christian Center in Carlinville, Illinois is for …