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Concerns and Hopes for the College Student Experience

I had the most enjoyable privilege of participating in a panel discussion on the gospel and the university campus, sponsored by The Living Church Institute.  It gave me the opportunity to interact with a group of practitioners who had very

Stephen Rankin January 14, 2019January 14, 2019 Christian Life, College Ministry, Emerging adults, Higher and Theological Education, Religion No Comments Read more

A Better Narrative: Religion Contributes Much Good to the World

The Big Narrative in American (and Western) society is that religious faith is: 1.  dangerous (notice in the most recent Boston Bombing tragedy how stories about the bombers revolve tightly and consistently around “radical Islam”). 2.  irrelevant (This is a

Stephen Rankin May 1, 2013May 1, 2013 Emerging adults, General, Higher and Theological Education, Ministry, Religion, The Church 2 Comments Read more

Tumulti Adventum (or Advent Frustration)

Advent may be one of the most difficult of church seasons to observe.  Every year we feel various pressures to skip it and go straight to Christmas.  People love singing Christmas carols, but the Advent hymns?  Not so much.  It

Stephen Rankin December 4, 2012 Christian Life, Doctrine/Theology, Religion, The Church, United Methodism No Comments Read more

Saying “Yes” to the Appointment Process

(This blog is an updated post from 3 years ago [2/27/2010], as I reflected then about the significance of the time of year for United Methodist clergy going through appointment changes.  Appointment time in United Methodism is always a little

Stephen Rankin February 27, 2010March 7, 2013 Ministry, Religion, The Church, United Methodism 1 Comment Read more

In a Sea of Gray Hair

These days I am near-obsessed by two constants: (1) in church gatherings, young people make up the tiniest sliver of the whole group.  I get invited a fair amount to preach here and there and the experience is always the

Stephen Rankin April 6, 2009 Religion, The Church, United Methodism 12 Comments Read more

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Meet Steve

I serve as Executive Director of the Spiritual Maturity Project, a ministry some of us have recently started.  For 25 years I worked in higher education as a professor and chaplain and before that as a pastor.  I love to help people grapple with big and basic questions to grow into real ,grown-up Christian discipleship.

I ruminate on all manner of theological, biblical, historical, and cultural topics. I believe followers of Jesus need to be more like members of Issachar’s tribe, able to read the times. Read more

 

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