Mike Bonem
Translating Your Vision

One evening when our adult kids were home for Christmas, we entertained ourselves with Google translate by translating phrases back and forth to see how they might change. Communicating clearly and effectively is both important and challenging for church and ministry leaders. How often have you conveyed a key message and then been shocked at how it was misunderstood by others? Probably far more often than you would like.

Translating Your Vision
Joshua Hill
Love on the Streets of Osaka

This past summer, I led a group from Woodridge Church to go serve alongside IMB missionaries in Osaka, Japan. On this trip, I saw both the darkness in Japan as well as the hope that Christ offers the Japanese people.  That's why I'm excited about an upcoming training for those interested in reaching Japanese people in Japan as well as in Houston. This free event is Friday, September 13th at the UBA offices from 10am-12pm.

Love on the Streets of Osaka
Sally Hinzie
3 Ways to Do Kingdom Sowing in our City

One of the things I like about working at Union Baptist Association is the kingdom mentality. I have the privilege of serving outside our institutional boundaries on occasion to serve a broader community. UBA believes we are better together not only at the local level but also as we share the gospel and sow seeds for the Kingdom throughout the world. Here are just three of the many opportunities I have to make a kingdom impact in our city.

3 Ways to Do Kingdom Sowing in our City
UBA Staff
September Prayer Guide

Every month, we feature people, events, and ministries we want our people to pray for. So, join us as we pray to and praise God for what He's done, because we're always better together.

If you have any requests or just want to let us know you’re praying with us, feel free to tag us on Facebook or Twitter, and join the conversation. #UBAPraysTogether

September Prayer Guide
Guest
How Can You Serve Those Who Serve?

When Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on our Texas coast, firefighters like me got a front-row seat to the damage and destruction 27 trillion gallons and 50 inches of rain can cause. We regularly have to deal with destruction. As Chaplain of the Houston Fire Department, I see the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual toll this work can cause. I cannot do this alone and neither can our firefighters. So, I am seeking local churches to work alongside me. Would you help?

How Can You Serve Those Who Serve?

culture

The Creative('s) Way to Do Outreach

The Creative('s) Way to Do Outreach

Have you ever thought of art as a form of outreach? If we do it right, art can bring glory to God and display his greatness to mankind in a way that causes people to follow him. That sounds a lot like outreach to me! I recently wrote an article encouraging leaders to value art in ministry, but what about the creatives in our midst?

Artists can serve to aid in evangelism, discipleship, and the edification of others in the church, as well. So, how can we get started? Here are a few suggestions for the artists (and wannabes) among us.

What Your Worship May Lack

What Your Worship May Lack

What if we did away with harmony in musical worship? Is it, or any other artistic expression, really necessary to the way we function as a church? Probably not, but most note beauty definitely adds something to the experience. Good art can help better articulate the gospel and move our affections towards God.

In the same vein, I wonder what other expressions of worship we may be missing. Are there some art forms we could use to help us better feel the depth of God's story or understand His person? How might leaders use those mediums to teach, to disciple, and to better explain the faith?

Rethinking the Nativity

Rethinking the Nativity

I have always been an avid collector of nativities, picking one up as a souvenir for each of my travels near and far. So, I was incredibly surprised to find that the reality of the nativity is hardly depicted in most of my little scenes.

With some insight from Kenneth Bailey's Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, I've learned a lot about Middle Eastern culture and how things would have actually happened in the Christmas story. Here are some of the things I've gleaned.

Sharing Spaces

Sharing Spaces

I was in a meeting a couple of weeks ago with two churches wanting to share a building. The host church is almost 60 years old, and the church wanting to share their space was an immigrant congregation that is about 5 years old. It was a challenge to work out the details across cultural worldviews and language barriers.

Three Things the Immigrant Church in Your City Does Better than You

Three Things the Immigrant Church in Your City Does Better than You

When evangelical Christians consider the large number of immigrants coming to North America, they most often think of the unreached. Though many unreached peoples come to the US every day, many more immigrants are brothers in sisters in Christ, who we can (and must) learn from.

Taco Eating Dragons

Taco Eating Dragons

Is it possible in our continuing quest for non-confrontational methods to begin spiritual conversations, that culture's adoption of phrases birthed by scripture is an opportunity to introduce people to Jesus? Possibly- when this method is considered a tool among many employed for a specific situation. But definitely when taco-eating dragons want to do something helpful and be labeled good Samaritans.