An Important Life Update From The Mannschrecks
To all of our beloved friends and family, (and anybody else curious enough to find out more), To be honest, a “roller coaster of emotion”...
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The Simpleton Blog
Click on a category to find archives full of content
Sep 5, 2023
De-Escalating Disciples: The Example Of Jesus In A Polarized World
De-escalation. It’s such a buzz word in our current culture, and yet it has such potent implications for followers of Jesus in the modern...
Aug 4, 2023
The Upside Down Kingdom
*The following is my manuscript that I used for a message delivered to the opening worship of Family Camp at Bayshore Camp. Based on...
Jul 18, 2023
The Bubble Effect
When my wife and I first got married we lived in and around Chicago. At one point we lived out in the western suburbs, but I was going to...
Dec 31, 2022
Reflections On Disaffiliation And Resignation
*CONTEXT* I’m currently an ordained elder in the UMC. My local church has been talking disaffiliation (switching denominations) for a...
Jun 28, 2022
How To Bring Revival To Your Life - Part 2.5
BONUS BLOG I wanted to do a three part series, but there are simply TOO MANY amazing resources I wanted to tell you about. SO, here’s a...
Jun 27, 2022
How To Bring Revival To Your Faith - Part 2
Quick Recap: This is the second in a three part series about how to bring REVIVAL to your faith life. The pandemic made things difficult...
Jun 13, 2022
How To Bring Revival to Your Faith
Let’s face it – the pandemic was like a wet blanket thrown on the sparks of our lives. Even if we managed to avoid getting sick, or had a...
May 2, 2022
Touching the Third Rail
[Author’s note: this article is about the specific denominational troubles inside the UMC – which is a fairly niche topic. I realize it...
Feb 24, 2022
Community Outreach Part 3 - Partnerships
Community Outreach Part 3 - Partnerships A few months ago I was asked to lead a Leadership Training event on Community Outreach. I led an...
Feb 17, 2022
Community Outreach Part 2 - The Mentality
A few months ago I was asked to lead a Leadership Training event on Community Outreach. I led an hour long zoom meeting, and then we...
Feb 10, 2022
Community Outreach Part 1 - The Framework
A few months ago I was asked to lead a Leadership Training event on Community Outreach. I led an hour long zoom meeting, and then we...
Jan 3, 2022
The Mission Field Of the Future
This is the third and final post in our three part mini series on how to be a Christian on the internet. First, we covered the atmosphere...
Dec 7, 2021
Troll Farms and Christian Cringe
By Pastor JJ This post is part 2 of our series on the intersection between technology and life as a Christian in the modern world. Last...
Dec 2, 2021
The Seeds of Winter
By Pastor JJ A few days ago there was a beautiful snow fall, and for a half a moment the world was blanketed in white. My boys and I...
Nov 30, 2021
The Internet Is A Coffee Shop
By Pastor JJ This blog post is part one of a three part series on how we engage in ministry and life, using technology. Today I want to...
Nov 22, 2021
The Comfort of the Cliché
I’ve always been one of those people who has a strong rule against Christmas music and decorations in November. In my own personal war...
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