November

Jeffrey O. Brown

There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.” This beloved children’s song, found across cultures, is based on a protracted dialogue between two characters, Henry and Liza. A leaky bucket leads to a deadlock situation. Henry’s bucket leaks, so Liza tells him to repair it. To fix the leaky bucket, Henry needs straw. To cut the straw, he needs a knife. To use the knife, Henry needs to sharpen it. The sharpening… Continue reading...

Ramon J. Canals

Some time ago, I received a call from my conference president informing me that I had been assigned to another district. I was surprised, to say the least, since I had been in my current district for only a few years. Why were they moving me again? Transitioning to a new church or district isn’t just about me; it impacts my whole family. My wife must leave her job and hopefully find another one quickly. Our children must switch schools, leave their friends behind,… Continue reading...

Photo: courtesy of Osvaldo dos Anjos Jr. Unique baptism at Brazilian hospital ILHÉUS, Bahia, Brazil On Friday, August 16, the Costa do Cacau Hospital in Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, experienced a unique moment. For the first time, a paraplegic patient hospitalized there was baptized on the public hospital’s premises. The initiative was organized by the local Seventh-day Adventist church, which set up an inflatable pool at the hospital for the ceremony. Twenty-six-year-old… Continue reading...

Edwin De Paula

The book From Conflict to Courage: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading by Marlene Chism focuses on redefining and facing conflict, seeking alignment within, and self-transformation rather than avoiding conflict or changing others. Influential leaders must possess the skills necessary to navigate difficult conversations gracefully and confidently, fostering a positive and collaborative atmosphere within their team. Leaders who prioritize clarity understand the… Continue reading...

James Astleford

Recently I had the privilege of meeting “Doc,” a retired Southern Baptist pastor, in an assisted living residence. Once we had established our mutual interests, he offered to show me his “ministry book.” It was an old, battered, but obviously treasured notebook. In it he had listed over several decades of ministry events in his lifetime: every sermon (including scripture and place), every wedding (with names and place), every baptism (name and place), and every… Continue reading...