Penetrating Prayer Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV) In the early 1970s, two psychologists studied how individuals grew closer to each other in interpersonal relationships. They believed the key to developing a deeper interpersonal relationship was self-disclosure. Like the layers of an …
Vlog entry, Discerning and Listening Skills, with Stephanie Bennett
Description: [in this episode] Is there a tool in our communication treasure chest that can help us feel more confident and steady in our faith? Yes, indeed! It is not a one-size-fits-all way of gaining the Lord’s guidance, but it is a way to gain spiritual muscle, and that way is called discernment. We learn to “walk in the Spirit” as …
Column Entry, Following Christ “Outside the Camp” (Holy Week), by John Hatch
Column title: Crossed My Mind: Thoughts on Culture and Communication Column entry: Following Christ “Outside the Camp” (Holy Week) By John Hatch, Ph.D. Eastern University (retired) CCSN Senior Fellow Column Description: As Christians, we are called to have the mind of Christ. This goes against the grain of our social and cultural conditioning. We seek personal or political advancement; Christ …
Column Entry, Let’s Talk Family: “Rituals as Connection,” by Jonathan Pettigrew and Diane Badzinski
Column: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing Column entry: Rituals as Connection By Jonathan Pettigrew, PhD, Arizona State University; Diane Badzinski, PhD, Colorado Christian University Column Description: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing is a monthly column offering a space to consider research-based, biblically-sound practices for family communication. We all have families. And we …
New Vlog Entry, “The Cultural Manipulation of Beauty,” by Stephanie Bennett
Beauty is not a luxury, it is essential. We need it to help counteract the relentless machinations of the world’s systems and the many human manipulations that push against our fervent hope for communities where shalom prevails. Beauty renews our hope. Beauty is one of the transcendentals that our Maker has built into our world and into our lives, …
Column entry, “Lay Down Your Burdens, Look to the Star,” by John Hatch
Column title: Crossed My Mind: Thoughts on Culture and Communication Column entry: “Lay Down Your Burdens, Look to the Star” By John Hatch, Ph.D. Eastern University (retired) CCSN Senior Fellow Column Description: As Christians, we are called to have the mind of Christ. This goes against the grain of our social and cultural conditioning. We seek personal or political advancement; …
New Vlog, “Tangling with the Media Culture,” by Stephanie Bennett
Description: Our media choices shape us. The shaping involves more than the discrete messages that come through TV, Podcasts, and Social Media, but include the media platforms and channels we use to connect with others. You’ve heard, “the medium is the message.” How does the particular medium we use to connect with others affect our spiritual formation, our relationships, and …
Column entry, Great Questions Strengthen Family Connections, by Jonathan Pettigrew and Diane Badzinski
Column: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing Column entry: Great Questions Strengthen Family Connections By Jonathan Pettigrew, PhD, Arizona State University; Diane Badzinski, PhD, Colorado Christian University Column Description: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing is a monthly column offering a space to consider research-based, biblically-sound practices for family communication. We all have families. …
Column entry, Keeping the Faith (as a Graduate Student), by Lakelyn Taylor
Keeping the Faith in Grad School February entry: “Quitting and Keeping the Faith” Column Description: Writing as a Christian who is a doctoral student at a public institution of higher learning, Lakelyn reflects on how graduate students can maintain their faith in graduate school when it seems hard to do. This column is not about how to “beat” the “other” …
Column entry, “Failing to Call the Audience to Action,” by Brandon Knight
Column Title: In Search of Right Words: Saint Augustine, Rhetoric, and Preaching By Brandon Knight, Ph.D. William Carey University February: “Failing to Call the Audience to Action” Column Description: Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, in his work On Christian Doctrine, illustrates the important relationship between preaching and rhetoric. Even in his day, many questioned what use the church could possibly …
