Articles Posted by Abby Marino ( Page 16 )

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Pastor’s Column: A Counter-Cultural Invitation to Wait and Hope this Advent Season

Rev. Anne Vining, senior pastor at First Covenant Church St. Paul, shares her deep need during the holidays for the intentional spiritual practices in Advent. The season of Advent is this rather counter-cultural invitation to wait, and to courageously choose hope over fear and despair—regardless of the state of our world, because Emmanuel, God with us, has come and is coming again!
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Evangelical Christians and President Trump

The 2016 election is decided and Evangelical Christians bear great responsibility to stand with those who feel afraid and left out. Evangelicals are people who want to attract others to Jesus. Their decisive role in influencing this election for a candidate whose character contradicts so much of what Jesus stands for, creates a barrier to their witness of His Gospel, which now must be overcome.
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Living with Conviction in a Pluralistic World

As we are on the brink of one of the most controversial Presidential elections in recent history, we are seeing more and more division among Americans. In his Q Commons Minneapolis talk, Rob Vischer, Dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Law remarks on how the remedy for our polarized political culture is the restoration of relationships. Vischer encourages civil friendships that are lived out in a spirit of solidarity with one another; emphasizing that our political life is shaped not primarily by election results, but by the attitudes of citizens.
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Graceful Convictions: Living Well with One Another When We Disagree

As we are on the brink of one of the most controversial Presidential elections in recent history, we are seeing more and more division among Americans. In her Q Commons Minneapolis talk Meghann Kantke, an attorney at Gray Plant Mooty in Minneapolis remarks on the value of expressing kindness and graciousness, while staying true to our convictions. She taught how the Jesus way is grace and truth – of real kindness and honest humility without compromising our convictions. We have to believe that everyone - even people we disagree with – are worthy of kindness and that they have something to teach us.
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Journey to Harmony Leadership Reflection

We have a dream… that pastors of the Twin Cities would pursue racial harmony by exploring in depth our troubled past so we can move forward and fulfill our calling to oneness as the Body of Christ. Transform Minnesota is launching its first-ever Sankofa Journey to Harmony visiting Civil Rights sites in February 2017. Rev. Terrance Rollerson and Pastor Andy Gray, pastors at the The Urban Refuge Church in Minneapolis will be leading the Sankofa Journey to Harmony. Terrance and Andy went on the journey together in 2012 and 2016. Read about how this spiritual journey impacted their friendship and relationship as an African American man and White man in ministry together. Sankofa is an intentionally multi-ethnic, experiential, and spiritual journey that will take us to important places and moments in the Civil Rights movement where together we’ll mourn, learn, understand, repent, pray, and find hope to build bridges and stand in the gap as peacemakers.
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Holy Sexuality: A Christian Response with Dr. Christopher Yuan

With his powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness, grace and ability to personally transform his life, Dr. Christopher Yuan shared with more than 300 people at Hope Community Church on how his life experience and spiritual transformation taught him how Christians need to respond to homosexuality in a compassionate, redemptive manner. Watch the videos of Dr. Yuan's testimony, and his talk on how Christians should respond to homosexuality. Also read Dr. Yuan's practical suggestions on how to minister to Christians with homosexual feelings & how to share Christ with those in the gay community.
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Pastor’s Column: Three Truths As I Stare At My Ballot

As we approach the 2016 Presidential election, we wanted to know how pastors are navigating the political season. Dr. Matthew St. John, lead pastor of New Hope Church in New Hope writes about three truths he knows this election season: "God is in charge, and His say is final. I must respond to what my Spirit-shaped conscience dictates, and offer charity to those whose choices differ from mine. I must honor the candidate that is victorious, if only because my Lord, in His written revelation, has commanded me to do so."
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