Adam L. Feldman's Blog, page 13

The Value of Relationship

A few years ago, theMetanoia ChurchPartners (our “membership”) went through a four-month process discerning our church’s values.The core values of a church(or any ministry)provide the guiding principles and philosophical assumptions for “how” the church goes about what they do.

In this series, I explore Metanoia’s six core values.(Theintroductory postexplores the “value of values” in general.)

We value relationship

Here is Metanoia’s definition for our value of “relationship”:

We love one another...

Advent: The Last Prophet

“How are you preparing space in your soul to receive the Christ child anew this Advent season?” This is a question that pose to friends and family this time of year. Its a question I ask of myself, too.

Advent is that wonderful time of the year when Christians all over the globe put intentional effort toward reflection over the incarnation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to help you prepare your heart, mind, soul, and body to worship Jesus this season, so I’ve crafted a handful of...

The Value of Worship

A few years ago, theMetanoia ChurchPartners (our “membership”) went through a four-month process discerning our church’s values.The core values of a church(or any ministry)provide the guiding principles and philosophical assumptions for “how” the church goes about what they do.

In this series, I explore Metanoia’s six core values.(Theintroductory postexplores the “value of values” in general.)

We value worship

Here is Metanoia’s definition for our value of “worship”:

We love and glorify God with...

“Journaling” Sale [Kindle Version] During Advent!

I love the Advent season.

My heart fills with awarm joyas a I remember celebrating family Christmas in the foothills of North Carolina. My spirit lightens as I sip a hotdrink watching the snow fall here in the mid-Atlantic. My soul bends toward the soft glow of the Light of the World made flesh.

Iabsolutely love the Advent season, and I want to share my joy and gratitude for JesusChrist with you!

About this time last year, I publishedJournaling: Catalyzing Spiritual Growth Through Reflection. It...

The Value of Mission

A few years ago, theMetanoia ChurchPartners (we refer to our membership as “Partnership”) went through a four month process discerning our church’s values.The core values of a church(or any ministry)provide the guiding principles and philosophical assumptions for “how” the church goes about what they do.

In this series, I explore Metanoia’s six core values.(Theintroductory postexplores the “value of values” in general.)

We value mission

Here is Metanoia’s definition for our value of “mission”:

“W...

The Value of Truth

A few years ago, theMetanoia Church Partners (we refer to our membership as “Partnership”) went through a four month process discerning our church’s values. The core values of a church(or any ministry)provide the guiding principles and philosophical assumptions for “how” the church goes about what they do.

In this series, I explore Metanoia’s six core values. (The introductory post explores the “value of values” in general.)

We value truth

Here is Metanoia’s definition for our value of “truth”:

“...

Knowing About versus Knowing

Familiarity with Scripture is a double edged sword. On the one hand, passages of Scripture become like a close friend who shares a space with you while you enjoy a warm drink by the fire. On the other, you can become so familiar with a passage of Scripture that you miss nuances to the text because you read it with the mindset: “okay, okay, I know this already…”

Here’s a familiar passage that I recently re-discovered.

The God of my fathers

Genesis 32 tells the story of Jacob preparing to meet his...

The Value of Values

Its fairly safe to say that most arguments in a church (or other ministry) setting boil down to competing values butting heads.Think about it…

A person who values frugality might find herself in conflict with someone who values generous giving.
A pastor who values control will find himself in conflict with another pastor who values teamwork.
A Sunday school teacher who values Biblical instruction might find himself in conflict with a music minister who proposes a budget that heavily resources th...

simplicity.

Have you also noticed an uptick in dialogue about “simplicity” in recent months? Whether its Pinterest pages devoted to DIY (do-it-yourself) projects to save money and space or its TED talks and life-hack websites devoted to simplifying your lifestyle, “simplicity” is simply “cool” right now.

But, what is“simplicity?” Are you living “simply” just because you don’t have a lot of possessions? What if your income precludes you from amassing possessions… are you living “simply” by default?

Lets exp...

Go for a Walk

Here’s a bit of poetry for you today. I thought I’d share some of my inner world with you. These are some reflections on Matthew 4:18-20 (see below).

Blessings to you today, friend.

Go for a Walk

Go for a walk.

Look up from your phone;

close your laptop;

stand up from your desk;

hang the “back in 15” sign;

open the door;

step outside.

Go for a walk.

Go for a walk.

Look up from your net;

close your tackle box;

stand up from the deck;

hang the “not looking back” sign;

close the sail;

step off the boat.

Go for a...