One of my favorite things to do in Kansas City is visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.Every time I visit I am drawn to a particular painting that depicts God sending an angel to encourage the prophet Elijah. This is one of my favorite stories in Scripture and the more I have studied the passage, the more I realize that I identify with Elijah. But that identification is not with the positive aspects of Elijah’s character but rather the unfortunate deformation that is taking place in his ministry.     Elijah’s Encounter with God Before God sends his angel to Elijah in 1 Kings ..read more

A Kaleidoscope of Personality Assessments I’m a big fan of personality assessment tools. DISC, StrengthsFinder, Working Genius, Myers Briggs. You name it, I’ve done it. I’ve found them to be a helpful tool on the journey to discovering who God made me to be. I’ve also found them to each have various strengths and weaknesses, which means they become exponentially more helpful when viewed as part of a whole. DISC helps me communicate more effectively with others. Working Genius helps me see where I fit on the team and within the project life cycle.  And the Enneagram? Well…that one sort o ..read more

Something I’ve been wrestling with in the last few years is the complexity of being a perpetual stranger in the country that has been my home away from home. I have lived in the United States for 17 years! Yet I still feel like a stranger in the place where I have forged most of my adult life. I have attended graduate school here, I work, pay taxes, and vote here, I serve the church here. But somehow, that feeling of otherness, of never belonging, does not go away. Why is that?    The perils of navigating intertwined identities in a culture that loves labels I am Puerto Rican. Tha ..read more

SUMMARY STATEMENT An Assistant Teacher at Awesome Kids Preschool loves children and has a heart for teaching children about Jesus. They come alongside the Lead Teacher in the classroom to assist with the day-to-day education needs. They are great at supporting and collaborating with the lead and other teachers, and are engaging and encouraging with the children and families. POSITION: Preschool Assistant Teacher REPORTS TO: Director of Awesome Kids Preschool STATUS: Part Time CLASSIFICATION: non-exempt The Assistant Teacher has the primary responsibility for general support to th ..read more

By Natasha Layman  The call came on a rainy, chilly afternoon when I was preparing for oral surgery the following day. A woman who had mothered me as a young adult and continued to love me generously and steadfastly collapsed suddenly and was on life support. I took a deep breath and turned my attention to Jesus, placing myself in his loving presence. Another phone call came a few hours later. She had passed away. In this loss, I experienced as I never have before the safe, strong, and deep tender love of God as he held me close and invited me to run to him and feel. God invites us to e ..read more

In Matthew chapter 15, Jesus performs a miracle. He feeds 4000 people from seven loaves of bread and “a few small fish” (Matthew 15:34).  And yet, somehow, if you’ve been reading through Matthew, the miracle seems almost unimpressive. After all, just one chapter earlier, Jesus fed a crowd of 5000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish! (Matthew 14:13-21). As a reader, I’m thinking, Jesus, I’ve seen this miracle already, and it was better last time. I’m only kidding that the feeding of the 4000 is unimpressive. But it does make me wonder: why did Matthew include these two miracle ..read more

Some time ago I had the opportunity for extended time away and was able to read extensively from the library of my favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien. I wrote a blog on failure and perfectionism that emerged from a careful reading of Tolkien’s work. Here are further reflections on creative work and joyful hope that were generated as a result of my reading.  As both a meticulous philologist and a devout Catholic, Tolkien’s stories, characters, and phrases drip with the beauty and power of the language by which they are expressed and the gospel in which they are soaked. I have found Tolkien ..read more

SUMMARY STATEMENT The Pastoral Residency at Christ Community Church is a two-year mentoring program designed to train and equip church leaders of tomorrow. Christ Community seeks to provide aspiring church leaders a healthy church environment to learn, grow, and practice ministry after completing their seminary degree. The Pastoral Resident serves as a pastoral apprentice-in-residence in a two-year mentoring residency, puts ministry into practice while learning from pastoral mentors not only through explicit instruction but also through observation and modeling, and seeks to further t ..read more

“That’s not fair.”  “But I should get to go.”  “How come she gets to do that but I don’t?” I hear statements like these from my kids frequently. I often get to play referee between two siblings both demanding that their way or desire is better. Or sometimes the complaint is directed at me and what I am, or am not, letting them do. It can be exhausting. But when I think about it, these statements are not just ones I hear from my children. I hear them from adults around me. I hear it in movies, from celebrities, and even sometimes from believers I look up to. And then, when I look d ..read more

Our family enjoys watching nature shows. Imagine you’re watching a mother bird in her nest with her babies. I picture the nest on the ground, with tall grass all around it, and the babies scurrying every which way. The chicks are completely dependent on their mother for food and protection. Their very survival is dependent on her. Now picture a hungry lion creeping through the tall grass. He is hungry, powerful, ready to eat, and he’s headed directly toward this mother bird and her babies. Who do you think is going to win? The mom might be able to fly away, but those babies are going to be ..read more