Jeff McLain

This is a book review of Researching Practice in Ministry and Mission: A Companion by Helen Cameron and Catherine Duce. Released in 2013, by SCM Press , Researching Practice in Ministry and Mission: A Companion is a book that looks at what integrity-driven, ethical, and formal research entails for those ministry and mission-minded students who are developing research projects and dissertations in their graduate programs. Throughout Researching Practice in Ministry and Mission: A Companion , the authors unpack academic, theological, ideological, and spiritual postures and practices for top-level dissertation research. Each author stems from a long line of academic research experience and achievement, offering a needed strength of resource to this topic. This book systematically lays out the approaches and methods of research that are needed for academic projects in practical theology. The authors define practical theology as drawing belief and action closer together.[1] As a resource,

The story of the early church in Acts shows us that an effective church is one where individuals are devoted "to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" - and they are devoted to these things together in community (Acts 2:42). In I Am A Church Member by Thom S. Rainer , Rainer suggests that belonging to a local church involves "praying together as a family for the church where God has placed us" (Rainer 2013, 60). He suggests the local church also needs individuals who "seek to pray together for the church" (Rainer 2013, 63). Similarly, in his book Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Rainer's experience and research show that when a church was no longer praying and hoping together, "the church started dying" (Rainer 2014, 68). For this reason, Thom S. Rainer suggests committing to praying for our churches, asking God to keep us "passionate and believing prayer as the lifeblood of the church" (R

Over the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on what it means to effectively pray for those I work alongside. I have also been considering the profound impact prayer may have or does have on the interactions we have with the guests we walk alongside. First, out of these reflections and considerations I have  developed a  framework   from the Lord's Prayer  ( Matthew 6:9-13 )  to more holistically pray for the spiritual journey of our guests. However, I also have been looking at what it means to pray before meeting with our guests to orient  our one-on-one sessions with deeper spiritual engagement, aiming to embody what it means to be present and fully surrendered to what God is doing.  For those who don't know, I work for   Water Street Mission , an organization in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that has focused on advancing the kingdom of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ and by doing missionary, relief, and rescue work of all kinds. I serve as the Director of Pastoral Minis

Praying the Lord's Prayer ( Matthew 6:9-13 ) for the guests in the residential program I work for has become quite meaningful for me. I think it might be helpful for others in similar programs. For those who don't know, I work for Water Street Mission , an organization in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that has focused on advancing the kingdom of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ and by doing missionary, relief, and rescue work of all kinds. I serve as the Director of Pastoral Ministries, and in addition to providing spiritual care, I facilitate our spiritual classes, chapel, and chapel partner program. We have a residential and emergency shelter program, and those who utilize this programs are not our clients but our guests.  Lately, I have tried to focus on praying for our guests more holistically and not only praying for their immediate needs.  I realized that regrettably my prayers have often been limited to only the areas and needs that an individual has communicated to me

This is a review of Mastering the Management Buckets by  John Pearson . Building on the work of leadership and organizational culture gurus like Bob Buford and Peter Drucker , John Pearson looks at twenty critical competencies he believes are essential for leading a business or nonprofit. Released by Regal in 2008, Mastering the Management Buckets from John Pearson offers some important fodder for those who do not have much leadership experience in shaping teams, meetings, and organizational structure or organizational behavior.  I read Mastering the Management Buckets by John Pearson for a class that was part of the Master in Business Administration (MBA) program at City Vision University . The author and book are greatly influenced by the work and thoughts of Peter Drucker, Bob Buford, and other organizational leadership gurus in a similar vein. Transparently, at times, this book can feel more like a commentary on the work of others than fresh innovative work. This book, witho

This is a book review of Build A Better Life by Brandon Schaefer. Released in 2015, by Brandon Schaefer and Five Capitals through Createspace , this book looks to help readers by providing practical tools and strategies to develop and lead their life and business in the way Jesus would. Schaefer addresses this book through the paradigm of a marketplace businessman and coach who is first and foremost concerned with discipleship and seeing the spiritual capital of every individual, organization, and business, recentered as the first and foremost important aspect of identity. For those of you who are familiar with Michael Breen , 3D Movements , and 3DM Publishing , you will find this as a further exploration of concepts presented in those camps. This encouraging and engaging practical read, which is rather short and easy to read, spans seven chapters, but also an introduction and epilogue.  In many ways, the introduction lays a very important foundation for the book. It is in the first