Nearly 70.8 million people were forcibly displaced in 2018. Refugees are forced to leave their homes, their friends and often their family, and everything they know because of threats, violence, inability to survive, or persecution. When a person has spent weeks, months, or most often years in survival mode, it can be difficult to know what thriving can look like, especially in a new country, with a new language, operating in a new culture. There are simple ways that we can help a refugee thrive. Here are ten easy ways that you can help a refugee thrive, not just survive.

For most of us who have been called into ministry, it wasn't as simple as hearing God's audible voice from heaven as we prayed. More often than not, God uses his people to call and clarify calling for the next generation of leaders. In spite of the barriers that exist, we should be the callers for the future of the church. That's why we're excited for an opportunity at HBU this Feb to better understand what a calling is and the options available to those looking to enter ministry. It's going to be an excellent event for ministers and the next generation both!

Church renewal can happen. It should come as no surprise to anyone that a majority of churches in North America are plateaued or declining. We've all heard the statistics. We've seen the reports. In fact, you may attend, or even pastor, one of those churches. If so, I want to give you some hope: church renewal can happen. That's why we're announcing a partnership with Revitalize Network to bring significant tools and resources to UBA churches that desire to walk a path toward renewal.

The majority of us who are involved with a local church know someone who has lived or currently lives on the mission field. On any given Sunday, we may hear about how God used a missionary’s obedience or a quick plug or through an introduction from the stage if they happen to be in town. Their work may be somewhat familiar to us yet still distant enough from the details to leave them feeling vaguely unknown. This can make catching up with a missionary friend over coffee quite uncomfortable or even awkward at times. But here are some helpful things to remember.

A lot of things have changed in the last twenty years. That means the way our team operates is going to change as well. For the last several years, we've been experimenting with a different schedule of office hours, and the results are in: we would be better off spending our Fridays out of the office and in the field serving our people. Therefore, our new office hours will be 8am-4pm Monday-Thursday with Fridays in the Field. #BetterTogther

"More divided than ever." It's a cringe-worthy phrase I hear way more often than I'd like lately—because it seems to be true. Though our culture increasingly rejects labels, it's also become a place where loyalty to one group means a complete rejection of and distance from those outside that group. But is it possible to challenge someone's position while keeping a larger sense of unity? How can leveraging our differences make us better?

Gardens have long served as rich spaces for contemplating God’s beauty and creativity. However, it wasn’t until I tried creating a garden of my own that I was able to gain a deeper understanding of some basic truths.

Small, simple, reproducible, and economical congregations are where the greatest growth of the Kingdom is taking place, much like the Early Church. When we recognize that a true church can be a small, simple cell group or assembly of believers, it opens up many new possibilities for church growth and multiplication. When addressing the idea of establishing congregations or communities of followers of Jesus everywhere and among all people groups, the methods and strategies of orality become vital.

2019 was a good year for us. God has been on the move in our churches, and we've seen it fleshed out in many different ways. One of the most exciting things we're seeing is churches working together to support, replant, and renew struggling or dying churches. Through some innovative collaboration, churches are finding new life for their congregations and their neighborhoods. Here's how.

Looking back over 2019, we're thankful for the many voices displayed through the content of this year. We've heard from seasoned pastors, lay leaders, church consultants, church planters, and more. We've thought through heavy topics, laughed a little, and hopefully grown in our abilities to love and serve the Church better. So, let's take a moment to reminisce with the top 10 articles of the year.