I sat in an empty conference room going through church files. One box contained hundreds of leads from a long-gone Tuesday night outreach program. I called in a couple of deacons.

“What should we do with these?” It may be the dumbest ministry question I’ve ever asked.

We live in a desert. No matter what part of the planet you consider home, you were born in a desert. We walk a scorched path. The place we call home is the wilderness, a dry and weary land where there is no water. It is possible, even probable, that you do not even realize it.

Missions is changing.

Our great-grandchildren will read about this moment in church history textbooks, if the Lord does not return first. Global changes are taking place that will forever affect the way churches fulfill the great commission, and our generation is standing at a major turning point in the history of the church.

In ministry, while a vision or idea may originate with one person, the work most often cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of other individuals and churches. A cooperative mindset believes that more can be done together than can be done apart. This has proven true in the story of Lynette Francois and International Ambassadors for Christ.

I enjoy a little friendly competition. Last October I used my kids as a front to scope out another local church’s Fall Fest. That, and they had a large amount of free candy. My affinity for candy corn sucked me into their festivities.

UBA staff loves the work we get to do supporting churches. Here’s why.

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.

Hang on to your hats, because I’m about to say something you may not hear most pastors say: Sometimes I get excited when people leave our church.

When we look at the statistics, the task of caring for children in Child Protection Services seems overwhelmingly daunting. In Harris County alone, more than 29,000 children are involved with CPS each year. When we remember our Father’s heart for the orphaned, outcast, and marginalized, however, these overwhelming statistics become ways to display the power and goodness of our God.

As UBA congregations and ministry teams serve together to demonstrate the presence of Christ to those in need, you can be praying specifically for a number of different needs. #UBApraystogether