Through the years I’ve been asked why I work with kids and for kids. I have several reasons but more importantly, I have a sense of urgency. God uniquely designed our brains and a child’s brain is fascinating. Did you know that a person learns faster as a child than they will at any other…
Read more
I used to love to watch sports on tv. It was a great way to shift my brain into neutral, get away from the pressures of the day and relax. However, over the last few years, agendas off the field replaced action on the field and it kind of sapped my desire to watch anymore.…
Read more
At least once a year your church will find itself hosting one or more International Workers (IWs) for anywhere from three days to a week. What’s the best way to steward these times? That answer will vary from church to church, but below are a handful of thoughts and ideas that have been gathered over…
Read more
One of the challenges I hear of repeatedly is how can churches keep (or get) young adults involved. Here’s three things that young leaders are looking for in your church. They want to be involved where interested, make a significant impact, and they want to be included in the leadership conversation. Involved. Younger leaders thrive when given the opportunity to serve or…
Read more
“Miss Mel, see the problem is I really want to believe God is real but I’m just not sure he’s real. COVID has been so hard for me, I haven’t been able to go to church and I just am not sure God is actually real anymore. What should I do?” On day 1 of…
Read more
The Dog Days of Summer have been upon us. Many areas of our district have been suffering with drought-like conditions. I hear reports of cities (including Billings) putting restrictions on water usage so as to conserve water and/or save overextending equipment needed to replenish fresh water. Recently, I took this picture while traveling to a…
Read more
I have had the privilege to speak at both Dickey Lake Bible Camp and Yellowstone Alliance Adventures this summer. With ages ranging from 3rd – 6th grade, we saw them encounter God and grow closer to Him. Summer for me means camps and it is my favorite time of the year! I’ve spoken at over 50 camps…
Read more
Over the last couple of months I’ve been writing about leadership development. My encouragement in April included two steps: Develop your definition of a leader, then identify the 5-7 essential leadership skills or traits that are necessary at all levels of leadership in your church. Step 3, detailed in my May article, entails defining the…
Read more
Recently, Carl Nassib, a defensive end for the NFL Las Vegas Raiders “came out” as the first openly homosexual player in the league. This column is not about debating that issue, Scripture speaks clearly regarding it. What caught my attention was the statement put out by the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, following Nassib’s announcement. Goodell’s…
Read more
I spent most of my school-age years living in a small dryland farming community. Consequently, I worked for a farmer who was part of our church. He was a good farmer and a great man who worked hard and smart to steward his farm well. He put in long hours to prepare the soil, cared…
Read more
