BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
What’s going on in America’s spiritual graveyard?
Each Sunday morning, when I stand behind the pulpit, my eyes are drawn to look out the east windows of our old Congregational Meeting House. As I do, I’m greeted by a sobering sight: an old church building, a relic from another time. But it’s not the building itself that affects me; it’s what it’s become. This structure, formerly a house of worship, is now divided into many luxury condominiums. And it’s not the only one. Several old churches, on our street alone, have closed in the last quarter-century. These buildings were at one time monuments of Christ, testimonies of faith in the Triune God. But now, they’re monuments of another kind, warning of the dangers of doctrinal downgrade while sounding the siren for help.
Our confused hearts are safe in our strong God
A few years ago some friends and I went to see a new Star Wars movie. As we ate tacos before the movie, some of the guys in our group talked with a nervous, Christmas-morning type of excitement about this newest addition to the Star Wars canon of movies. I did not have that same child-like excitement. I’ve never been able to fully immerse myself in Star Wars. I have tried, but there’s just something about the movies—they just don’t do it for me. Nonetheless, I was enjoying my tacos and the time with these friends.
Am I listening?
My buddy and I were sitting by the community pool watching our sons swim when he tells me the craziest story about a work situation. Short version: He was going to record an interaction with a boss who’d been giving him fits. So he hits “record,” walks through an empty hallway, walks by the boss’ office, has a quick and harmless interaction, and heads out to his car — recording wasn’t necessary. Where the story went from ho-hum to hair-on-your-neck-stands-up is on the recording.
No one left behind
Recently, as our government decided to close the long chapter on the war in Afghanistan, our nation (and, indeed, the entire world) looked on with much concern and trepidation as the hasty evacuation process unfolded.
My three biggest ministry mistakes
“Learn from the mistakes of others: You can't live long enough to make them all yourself,” Eleanor Roosevelt.
Looking back over thirty-five years of ministry, I’ve made a few mistakes. (OK, more than just a few.) Thankfully, along the way, I learned from my mistakes and discovered how to be a better pastor. Here are my three biggest ministry mistakes and the lessons I’ve learned from them:
The price of redemption
In an age where we are inundated with headlines of suffering, evil, fear, and death – where there is simultaneously an ease to remaining comfortable with ignorance, distance, or avoidance – the Confessions of Saint Augustine and the signposts of the Old Testament guide Christians towards a more robust understanding of the gravity of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Within modern western culture, death is often dealt with behind closed doors. The sick and elderly rarely die at home, intimately cared for by their loved ones throughout the process of dying. Instead they are shipped off, making death seem less intrusive, more remote, palatable, forgettable.
The Lord does not despise the day of small things
“Oh, that’s good that you’ll be in a small church for your first Lead Pastorate,” the well-meaning former church member commented. “It will be a great opportunity before God expands your ministry.” In the context of our conversation, the idea was that a small church would be a place of growth until God called me on to bigger and better things. They weren’t trying to be rude or demeaning, but the insinuation was that a small church in a small town was a good place for a pastor in his mid-thirties, so that God could use him in a bigger place when he was older and wiser and could handle more responsibility.
Revitalize the heart through giving
Revitalizing a church involves cultivating revitalized givers. People give to vision and movements, not to traditions and personal preferences. Although there are many methods of giving, the giving principle never changes. The Old Testament threshold giving is 10% to God as the starting point. However, in the New Testament, you see examples of sacrificial giving and generosity by believers through the local church to accomplish God’s gospel mission in the world.
2021 Summer Ministry: What did it look like?
The summer of 2021 here in New England has been less than stellar but summer ministries around our region have exploded! It has been awesome to see the many, different ways that churches in all six states have approached their summer outreaches. There has been a renewed excitement to reach out to families and kids and get them reconnected and to get to know others in the community.
By faith
New Hope Community Church of Ayer is a multicultural church that has grown out of a vision from God to provide a local place of worship for an underserved community. This month the church celebrated its 33rd anniversary. What a testimony to the glory of God! What a mighty God we serve. A small group of people’s faith in the power of God’s word is evident in the church today. The church testimony has held firm: “We’ve come this far by faith”.
The humble king
If you could ask God for one thing, and know that He would give it, what would your request be? Assuming you couldn’t ask for more wishes, what would you say? I believe our answer to that question reveals a lot about our own drives and desires in life. Maybe you would ask that God bring back a loved one who has passed away. Perhaps you would ask for better health or a more stable bank account. Maybe you would request the salvation of a wayward child.
4 aspects to know about CrossWalk youth camp
When I was a student myself, summer meant two things: no school and CrossWalk! And for New England students, this year was no exception.
CrossWalk is traditionally a week-long sleep-away camp for 6th-12th graders. The staff, curriculum author, and students are all from New England, making this camp exceptionally impactful! At camp, students follow a purposeful schedule that incorporates the best of camp activities with the growth and encouragement of Bible studies and worship!
The value of a good walk
Most mornings I take a long walk. Sometimes I walk around the block and pray for the houses I pass. But most of the time I walk through the woods. I am blessed to live in a town that had the foresight 40 years ago to conserve 17 miles of walking trails inside the town. So even though we are a bustling suburb of Boston, I can take a walk that makes me feel like I’m back in my beloved Vermont.
Legacy
Twenty years.
Six summer days.
Over 5,000 students and leaders.
Eternal impact.
For over 20 years teenagers and their leaders have gathered each summer for CrossWalk, a week of camp in New England. Themes and Bible studies developed and written with New England students in mind. No fluff, rather tackling subjects like the Holy Spirit, global missions, and sacrificial discipleship, all based in the redemptive Gospel story.
Walking with those who weep
In the age of social media, it is easy to believe that only what is clean cut and manicured is worth sharing. We like to celebrate in public and mourn in private. In a culture obsessed with perfection, grief and lament feel awkward and out of place. Grievers can feel isolated under their burdens when others do not know how to make space for their sorrows. Those who are supporting sufferers can feel overwhelmed and uncertain of how to best love and serve in the tension. Even within the church, grief can be lonely and strange.
Desperate measures
Our church has a long-standing partnership with several churches in Durban, South Africa, and we are deeply concerned about the current state of affairs there. In the last few weeks, hundreds of people have been killed and dozens of malls and businesses have been looted and burned by those protesting the imprisonment of former president, Jacob Zuma. The already struggling economy (over 40% unemployment), locked down due to another spike in COVID, has taken another blow. If they can restore order, it will take years to recover in any meaningful way. Even worse, this has further enflamed racial tensions that have put many of our dear friends of Indian heritage in great danger.
Domestic abuse: 4 things pastors and churches need to know
The statistics about domestic abuse are staggering. Each year twelve million people are victims of intimate partner violence. Thirty-five percent of women experience rape, violence, or stalking at the hands of a significant other at some time in their lives. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s what pastors and church leaders need to know about domestic abuse.
Believing our own spin
I recall a number of occasions when politicians were shocked to find that they lost their elections by huge margins. These politicians could not believe they lost because they were so confident of their position on the issues, and in their marketing efforts to communicate those positions. In short, they had begun to believe their own spin, and were shocked to find out that others did not believe it nearly as strongly as they did, and voted for the other candidate.
IMB Europe partnership: Take the first step
I am thankful for the opportunity to share how God called me to missions, specifically to Poland. I will focus on the general calling and how we ended up in Europe. My walk with the Lord began shortly after my eighteenth birthday. At the time I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian, this was a dream of mine since I was six years old. As I started college that dream did not change in my mind, but God was already leading me down a different road. I had a job in an animal hospital, gaining vital experience for the future and everything seemed to be on track.
The honor of a good name
Proverbs 22:1 says: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” Every person, school, organization, and entity has a name. We try hard to live up to a name. In the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, the meaning of a name was intimately tied to the person’s identity.