Insights from in and around the association
UBA Voices
The Gift of Hope
Let’s not grow weary in doing good and sharing hope this Christmas season.
10 Things I’d do Differently as a Pastor During the Christmas Season
As I look back on my years as a senior pastor, I think of things I would do differently during this season today if I were again a senior leader in a church.
Waiting for Jesus
When I was pregnant with my first child, I did what many expectant moms do—I waited with excitement and hope for my baby. I learned that the deep sense of expectant waiting that I felt during pregnancy had a name and a season in the Christian world: Advent.
Whereas Christmas is the fulfillment of God’s promises, the weeks of Advent are the symbol of our hopeful expectation of God coming to us to fulfill His promises. These weeks can teach us so much about what it means to follow God—in the best and worst of times.
Delight and Dread During the Holidays
Holidays with the family can be wonderful and hard. How can Christians cling to Christ when the thought of family is challenging or when we’re tempted to idolize it?
An Unappreciated Gift
In the noise the world creates during this season, don’t make the mistake of overlooking and under-appreciating the joy of the gift that is our Savior, Jesus.
What does your spending say about your values?
Can Giving Tuesday be an opportunity for adults to be strategically thankful?
Reaching the Islands with Gifts and the Gospel
Children on a remote island in the Pacific receive the gospel of Christ through Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.
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.
Come All Ye Weary: Grace-Filled Parenting for Christmas
As a parent to two littles, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by—well, any number of things. Finding the perfect traditions to ensure everyone focuses on Christ this year can feel like another item on the to-do list, another way we’re failing to live up as parents, Christians, and ministers of the gospel. To make it better this year, our little family is trying to keep the focus on simple and small ways to weave Christmas traditions into our everyday lives.
UBA's Top 10 Articles of 2018
2018 has brought a lot of things our way: heavy losses, exciting possibilities, and hard discussions. Likewise, our blog also had a lot of fascinating and pertinent articles for the year. As we prepare for what God has in store for 2019, we'll first pause to remember and celebrate the top 10 articles of 2018.