Living Life In God's Light

Author: Linda Shirey

  • Meetings, Meetings, Meetings…

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    Linda Shirey
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    Someone shared this video with me and it rang true for so many a strategic meetings I’ve been a part of. This could also be applied in a church context, where meetings can go for hours. It begins with ‘we need to find a pastor’ and ends with plans for outreach, inevitably involving the overcommitAted…

  • When Churches Go Mega!

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    Linda Shirey
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    As a Brit Lit fan (English literature), I’m a fan of small things with growth potential. Not big behemoths that try to take over. That’s my impression of mega churches. (It’s the same impression of mega corporations, and mega movements.) Eventually, running to keep up with the hugeness distracts and detracts from the mission, and…

  • Careful, Lasting Growth

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    Linda Shirey
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    “As go the leaders, so goes the church.” (or organization in general) I’ve been thinking about the podcast ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’ in relation to the book I’ve written (Wolves Among Us). But I’ve also picked up a book about spiritual health (The Elimination of Hurry) and found a crossover quote: “in…

  • Recruitment!

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    Linda Shirey
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    Nikole Rhodes, a Senior HR Professional, published a rather telling post on LinkedIn about the state of the current job search experience. Yet, people had conflicting reactions to this recruitment story. 1. Inconsistency Spotters: Either they took direct or indirect issue with the ‘almost 3 months’ assertion (some said ‘four months’) 2. Affirmers and Commiserators:…

  • Prayer Works

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    Linda Shirey
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    Prayer works. (Not being pushy, just affirming with an example.) Computer went into full-on freakout mode – all day. Browser refreshing 19 times per minute. Can’t get much done. Think about needing a new computer. I thought, “Full moon?” (That’s not a Twilight reference, it’s hospital staff common sense. Ask any nurse or internist –…

  • The Stillness of Small Towns

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    Linda Shirey
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    One of the things I love about small town life is the opportunity for space and peace, for reflection. (As I write this, I hear a plane flying overhead, because we are near the regional airport. But whatevs. It’s a consistent if not perfect true statement.) Returning to our small town in Eastern Carolina from…

  • Church Hurt and Forgiveness

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    Linda Shirey
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    I’m currently researching this topic: The biggest desire of people hurt by churches. This article by Crossroads Church (“How I Got Over My Church Hurt {Without Losing My Faith}”) addressed the pitfalls and the solutions with equal care. Q: Are there feelings?A: Yes, and they have to be processed. Q: When healing from trauma, does…

  • Not Remotely Hybrid

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    Linda Shirey
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    Conflict among remote, hybrid, and in-office work is a post-Covid battle that continues to rage. Brigette Hyacinth’s LinkedIn post is an needed call for corporate honesty around these policies. Speaking of which, don’t get me started on companies that offer ‘hybrid’ or ‘remote’ in their job description, and then walk that back to ‘this is…

  • (Mal)Functioning Church Life

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    Linda Shirey
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    I’m on a research binge of material on malfunctioning church life and came upon this podcast “When Churches Get Doctrine Right and Everything Else Wrong” by Crossway. Years ago, I heard a good summary by a theologically astute pastor: “Orthodoxy should lead to orthopraxy.” In other words, your doctrine should inform your life. Otherwise, it’s…

  • The Whistleblower List

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    Linda Shirey
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    Stefanie Costi posted a fairly good list of 14 things she wished she knew before speaking out about workplace bullying. I’m writing a book on bullying in the church (Wolves Among Us), and some of those points are really how it feels to be a whistleblower. The bummer is that these points can also be…