One of the questions I often ask children and young people has to do with one's vocation in life.   I would frame the question this way, "What do feel God is calling to do when you finish high school?"  Perhaps this kind of question might seem a bit odd or misplaced.  What has our work to do with one's calling in life?  Is there a relationship between faith and vocation, faith and work?  If so, what? ...

It takes a whole village to raise a child!   This African saying is believed to originate from the Igbo and Yoruba people of Nigeria.  My son-in-law grew up in the heartland of Africa, and I soon appreciated that this idea that ‘it takes a whole village to raise a child’ is fundamental to many African cultures.   The main idea behind the saying is that it takes a whole community, and not just two parents, to bring...

Do you understand the culture in which we live?  The Australian culture?   The western culture of our day?  The culture of the current decade in which we live?  In the Bible we read about "the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;"  (1 Chronicles 12:32).   This observation about the men of Issachar came at a crucial juncture in the history of Israel, when...

Will our children have faith?   This is a question I have been asking ever since I read John H. Westerhoff III's classic book with that same title:  Will Our Children Have Faith?   This question is even more weighty than when Westerhoff first penned it in 1976.  According to today's statistics, if you had 100 youth in your church – 9 of them will become resilient disciples of Jesus;  28 will be church goers – but not...

Every October I am reminded of this one word:  witness!  It is not the only time I think of this word, but 'witness' has an extra punch this time of the year.  And I would like to explain why.   Why this reminder each October, and why this one word ought to be etched strongly in our minds and impact how we live?   Not just in this month, but each month, each and every day! I was...