Our missionaries are incredibly important in spreading the Gospel truth to the world, especially in places where Christianity is uncommon. These called workers of Christ are diligent in sharing their personal faith and the beauty of the Gospels with those who don’t know Him. Emily Belvery, author of Together We Believe: A Study of the Apostles’ Creed, shares her experience in the mission field using the Apostles’ Creed to bring the most basic confession of faith to those who needed clear and concise answers about Christianity.
What burdens are you carrying right now?
Are you . . .
Anxious?
Tired?
Uncertain?
Just as being humbled in life is unavoidable, so is living with change. If my new motto is “Be prepared; humbling will happen, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” then I might as well tack on another clause: “Oh yeah, and change happens too.”
The concept of change shouldn’t be an afterthought, but how often do we clutch our perceived life stability with a white-knuckled grip when change lurks nearby—and resist change so much that it sweeps us off our feet anyway? I know I engage in such white-knuckling often, so it can be helpful to remind myself that nothing on this earth lasts for long.
As a new mother, I’ve been struggling to figure out a spiritual routine for my daughter and our family. We say prayers at bedtime and read some books that are Christ-focused, but sometimes I feel lost when I think about teaching her about Jesus as she continues to grow.
When I started working at CPH in 2015, one of the first things I got to do was a strengths-finder personality test. Everyone in the marketing department had their top five strengths listed on little labels by their desks. Here were my top five:
There are many effective ways to share the Gospel message. One of the most practical and powerful ways to start is by directly providing Scripture resources to congregations and ministries.
At the LCMS Youth Gathering this past July, more than 20,000 youth gathered to worship Jesus and study His Word. There were also daily opportunities to serve the Church in a variety of capacities. Concordia Gospel Outreach (CGO), a ministry of Concordia Publishing House, hosted a servant event on the exhibit floor where volunteers assembled boxes filled with a set of resources tailored to help churches and schools evangelize in their communities.
This school year, my family is transitioning to having a child in school all day. My oldest starts kindergarten and is anxiously waiting to find out what being at school “all day” is all about. We recently visited with his kindergarten, teacher and his big concerns were finding out how to know what was being served in the cafeteria for lunch each day and if they would be doing painting and art projects in kindergarten.
Military life is nothing new under the sun. While it is, right now, new to our family, many other families have lived this life long before me. And there is comfort in that—knowing I am not alone in feeling trepidation for what comes next, knowing there are others to lean on for support—but also knowing there is ultimate comfort in God because of His concern for our anxiety during this vocational transition.
I remember the day when my father-in-law told us his memory was failing him. I remember the flurry of medical tests, the devastating diagnosis, and the quiet times spent trying to absorb the ramifications of this turn of events. I remember worrying over my children as we searched for ways to explain Grandpa’s behavior. I remember so much because it was a pivotal time in our family’s life. But, sad as I am to admit it, one thing I don’t remember doing is thinking about my mother-in-law. She lived in the shadow of our concern for her husband from the beginning of that journey.
My son called to me in a stressed and urgent tone, “Mom! I need a big eraser!”