By John D. Pierce
“Where do your stories come from?”
From paying attention, I say.
That’s one way to describe the editorial approach we take at Nurturing Faith Journal. We pay attention to what is in the news and what conversations are taking place in churches and coffee shops.
What’s new on the bookshelves and in social media? What is currently masquerading under the banner of Christianity, but lacks any semblance to Christ?
What issues and trends are being faced while honestly navigating the road of faithfulness? What can be learned from the inspiring story of another?
Speaking this week at the Mercer Preaching Consultation in Chattanooga, Valerie Burton of Baptist Church of the Covenant in Birmingham used a great phrase: “reality dipped in hope.”
It is easy to become disillusioned, discouraged and disappointed in the cultural capitulation of much of American evangelicalism and other so-called Christian expressions that seem to miss the broad and basic biblical themes of love, justice, grace and mercy.
Nurturing Faith Journal takes a “reality dipped in hope” approach to providing content that honestly addresses real issues impacting faithful living — and dips them in enough hope to keep us choosing determination over despair.
Ignorance is no friend to faith. A better choice is to be informed and inspired.
The November/December issue of Nurturing Faith Journal contains original and thoughtful content aimed at those good goals.
There’s a conversation with author Jonathan Merritt about spiritual conversations. Faith/science columnist Paul Wallace sheds light on modern flat-earth proponents.
Bruce Gourley explores “Religion and the American West,” while Ben Self thoughtfully digs into what the Bible does and doesn’t really say about salvation.
Columnist Ginger Hughes calls us to stop saying “unless” to God, and Les Hollon encourages ministry leaders to come to peace with the pruning.
Brett Younger celebrates kind people. And I look into how the Bible is often used to avoid Jesus.
There much more — and, no, you’ve not read it all elsewhere. This thought-provoking and inspiring content is unique to Nurturing Faith Journal — and print or digital subscriptions are available at nurturingfaith.net.
Director of the Jesus Worldview Initiative at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and former executive editor and publisher at Good Faith Media.