Lots of people struggle to build relationships when they get to new places. In my work as a university chaplain, my main experience is with new college freshmen. But people experience the same challenges when they move to a new town for work or even during significant shifts in their community when they don’t move anywhere (new job, divorce, etc.). Thankfully, watching freshmen succeed and fail at forming new friendships has taught me a lot about what is required to start building new relationships. [Read more…]
How to Pastor When You Have to Report Child Abuse
I’m glad to have this guest post from Dr. Ryan Darrow, a pastor with a professional counseling ministry.
With a look of panic Eve yelled at me, “You did WHAT?” [Read more…]
Palestinians are People: A Missionary’s Observations
Photo: Tarek
As of today, 197 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,500 have been injured in Israel’s constant bombing of Gaza over the last 10 days. Though Palestinians have fired lots of rockets and mortars at Israel in this same time frame, reportedly only one Israeli has been killed. This outburst of violence is the worst in five years. This is a guest post written by an American friend of mine that is a missionary to the West Bank. I asked her to give advice to all of us for whom this conflict is just a bunch of numbers: 197. 1,500. I hope this reminds us that each of those numbers is a person made in the image of God.
To A Student At Graduation Time: An Open Letter From The University Chaplain
Photo Courtesy of Hagerstown Community College
Dear Student,
You are leaving this place for new adventures and new responsibilities. Some of that is exciting and some of it is scary. Some of it is just unknown.
But you can be certain of one thing. The relationships that have been so meaningful for you while you have been here are about to change radically. [Read more…]
The Day That I Started To Understand Racism
It was a hot June day in 2011. My wife and I had been parents for just four days.
3 Things To Look For In A Mentor: A Tribute To My Own Mentors
In my work as a University Chaplain, I talk a lot with students about having a good mentor and becoming a good mentor to another. One of the findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion is that only committed religious parents can have more impact on the religious faithfulness of young people than adult mentors. Mentors matter.
God Is NOT With Us: An Advent Sermon
![Advent_Reminds2[1]](https://jeremiahgibbs.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/advent_reminds21.jpg)
I believe a Christian can give only one response to the difficult question of suffering. This place is not what God had in mind and he will in fact set the whole world to rights one day…we pray that it comes quickly.
Dr. Jeremiah Gibbs 