Author: John Smith

By Janel Fackler I guess every parent wants different things for their kids. Our hopes are as varied as our children themselves. God has given our children different gifts, different strengths, different interests, different struggles. But I think as a body of believers, we share a hope that our children will find themselves at home...

By Ward Shope How was your vacation this year? It seems a bit late to be writing this the week before Labor Day. For most children school has begun, the fall schedule is asserting itself and our summer vacation is a fading memory. For some, vacation rivaled the busyness of any work week. We come...

By Becky Holcomb When you think of a missionary, you probably picture someone who is sent to a faraway land, speaking a different language and eating strange food. Well, just over 12 years ago, I was called to the mission field. We moved to Erdenheim when our oldest was just 9 months. The moment I...

By Debbie Leonard Another summer is flying by and we just finished enjoying our annual week of camp. Yes, 135 campers, 35 counselors, cit’s (counselors in training), coaches and assistants spent last week playing soccer, basketball, hockey, and crazy games and doing lots of creative, imaginative artwork. As great as that was, it is not...

By David – a student Easton is a heartwarming place that I will never forget. I had a wonderful week with the kids there, and it shines a light into my world knowing that I actually made an impact on many children’s lives by showing them the love of God: the love that many of...

By Erin Amman I have always been captivated by corporate worship. I like gatherings. I like music and singing. I love prayer. And I really love God. And God shows up when we gather with praise and song and His word. He is present and blessed and glorified when we humble ourselves and come to...

By Abby Our Granada team has been home from Granada for a few weeks now and I miss it more than ever. The strangest transition happened as we went from seeing each member of the team every day and working side by side with them, to not seeing them at all. I’ve been able to...

By Joe Johnson A young man came to me with this question the other day. He was struggling with certain things and he felt as though he didn’t know anyone who could give him positive, wise counsel on a consistent basis. This conversation led me to reflect on how fortunate I am to be in...

By Ward Shope Church-speak abounds in pastoral images even though few, if any of us, at New Life live on a farm. We love stories about the Great Shepherd and how he calms our nerves even when we walk through the deepest valleys of our lives. While many of us don’t even know the difference...

By Janae Robinson In moments of unhindered imagination, I envision Jesus’ call on my life coming in a single, glorious instant, all rolling clouds and fire and a booming voice from Heaven. “JANAE,” the voice sounds through the sky, like some divine fusion of Morgan Freeman and Billy Graham, “You must wear the same clothes...

By Andrew Colpitts Whenever I read 2 Timothy, I can’t help but reflect on the amazing grace of God to give Timothy a mentor as wise and loving as Paul. All throughout the book, Paul uses his own words and life as an example for Timothy to closely follow, and yet he always roots his...

By Dave Almack It was the coldest day of my life. I had traveled to Moscow to be a part of a historic event in the life of our ministry but had no idea how cold it could get in Russia in February. As I stepped out of the doors at the airport, it almost...