Jerry Wiles
Orality in the Marketplace

Storytelling methods are increasing in popularity as effective marketplace tools for improving working relationships and community, addressing organizational change, leadership, and maintaining corporate culture. Not every follower of Jesus is part of the business community. However, almost everyone is engaged in the marketplace in some way. Most people buy things and deal with sales and marketing people. Each of those occasions can be witness and ministry opportunities. 

Orality in the Marketplace
Skyler Womack
5 Lessons I've Learned from Missionaries

5 years ago, I took the role of Minister of Missionary Care at Houston's First. It has been one of the most rewarding and stretching positions I have ever experienced in my short ministry career. Our team has seen and heard it all—from religious persecution to church planting movements, hidden depression to unexplainable joy through trials. Whether it comes through a screen or across the table, we have learned some life lessons from our missionary partners, and we would love to share some with you.

5 Lessons I've Learned from Missionaries
Josh Ellis
How and Why to Celebrate Pastor Appreciation ...

If you’ve never been a pastor, let me give you a little glimpse into their world. Some of it can be quite funny, and some of it will make you secretly thankful that you don’t have to do their job. This reality doesn’t just apply to senior pastors either—every ministry position has nuances and complexities. Sure we make fun of youth pastors (I was one, so it’s okay), but there is no easy ministry job. Let me see if I can explain why that is so.

How and Why to Celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month
Marie Burrus
How Poor Communication Skills are Hurting Your ...

Why are many Christians so offensive, aggressive, or just downright weird in the way we share the gospel? More often than not, our problem is not our theology behind our conversations but rather our methodology. The gospel may be a stumbling block, but the way we share it shouldn't be. So, let's learn to be winsome without losing the truth of Scripture. Here are five strategies to help you be a more effective communicator and a better gospel witness. 

How Poor Communication Skills are Hurting Your Gospel Witness
UBA Staff
Better Together in Our Communities

At UBA, we talk a lot about being better together—because we know it to be true. When churches work together to advance the gospel, they can do all kinds of things that would never have been possible for each individual church. In the same way, churches can also partner with schools in their communities, as well. We recently got the chance to talk with Kevin Alvarez, lead pastor of Long Point Baptist Church, and hear how Loving Houston helped connect and equip his church to be better together with their local school district. 

Better Together in Our Communities

health of a leader

The Pastor's Health: Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual

The Pastor's Health: Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual

The most serious injury I ever had playing soccer was momentary, but it still scared me to death. While I never lost consciousness, I lost my vision for about two minutes. Before that, I had approached my health with the cavalier nature of a teenager. Unfortunately, many of us make the same mistake. We think we’re physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy until an event happens that gets our attention—until we get blindsided by a different reality. What can we do to prevent that life-altering event?

Moving Beyond Burnout

Moving Beyond Burnout

“Sweetie,” my husband gently began. “This is an intervention.”

In his most compassionate voice, Craig began describing my life—my job and the amount of travel it required, my responsibilities in raising our teenaged kids, my ministry as a pastor’s wife, my efforts to be a good friend and a good daughter. “This is just not sustainable,” he said. “I’m not upset with you, but something has to change.”

Waves of inadequacy and shame washed over me. I was trying so hard to do it all. People depended on me. How could I stop?

The Healthy Leader

The Healthy Leader

According to the global health statistics, you can add five years to your life by taking care of your health. Being healthy is essential to perform a host of activities. However, the improvement of physical health requires radical changes such as changing your diet, reducing stress, and exercising. Improving your spiritual health also requires radical changes.