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News from a Far Country: Notes from an American Conversion
I. The Madman and the Arsonists: A Parable Let’s say that you have lived your whole life in a small town well-known for arson cases. Let’s say your parents lived and raised you here, as did their parents, back and back to time immemorial, so that you really don’t know...
Incorporating Children into Small Groups
Regarding children, it is always important to consider the needs of the whole group along with those of the children and parents. How much disruption can the group as a whole tolerate? How flexible is the group? How sensitive are parents to the group dynamics?...
Small Group Open Chair Model
Whenever possible and healthy for the group, we encourage groups to maintain an “open chair.” This means that the group fosters an attitude of openness to newcomers and maintains an environment that would make a newcomer feel welcome. The group does not need to be...
Michael Atella
Transcript Growing up overseas as a missionary kid who was adopted actually that answer is complicated. My, my culture, I would say, never really aligned with any, and it's just kind of amalgamation and meshing of different cultures that I've experienced along the...
Swagata Bergquist
Transcript One practice that I was exposed to growing up was, regardless of what was happening in people's life, they would drop whatever they were doing to be fully present with someone else. Like our neighbors attending to our needs when my dad spent months out of...
Jairus Justus
Transcript I'd say one significant piece of my cultural background is probably how I grew up. In an Indian family, we always treat everyone as family. So whether that was one of my parents friends, one of their friend's children, whether that was actual relations. To...
Samantha Isomura
Transcript Growing up, my parents really emphasized the importance of language in our home. They signed my sisters and I up for Chinese school on Saturdays, and always tried to nurture the growth of the language in our home. We certainly resisted this as we were going...
What Should I Do if I Hate My Job?
In this episode, the team discusses an article that offers six reasons to quit a job. Join the LDI Crew as they consider the value of work and the difficulties of toil. ...
The Comparison Games We Play: Grace is the Thief We Need
This article originally appeared on redtreegrace.com. Red Tree is a multi-church ministry effort started by Hope Community Church in order to connect the clarity of God's grace to our otherwise confusing lives and attempts at reading the Bible. As of 2023, the world’s...
Should I Have a Side Hustle?
In this episode, the team discusses the art of navigating side hustles and the pressure culture places on us to or live up to its (or our own) unrealistic expectations....
When Should I Quit My Job?
In this episode, the team discusses decision making. Comfort and ease can be major drivers in our decision making, but the LDI crew offers other factors to consider. Each...
What Do We Do With Toxic Relationships?
In this episode, the team discusses relationships and why they are worth having. While truly toxic relationships do exist, we now live in a culture quick to label...