goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

The Board of Trustees

By Linda Tancs

A board of trustees is the appointed or elected governing body of an entity like a non-profit organization, university, hospital or charitable foundation, responsible for ensuring the organization fulfills its mission. In God’s economy, we’re all members of His board of trustees. We’re entrusted with things like protecting the gospel message (2 Timothy 1:14) and using our unique spiritual gifts as good stewards of God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10). In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus tells of a master who entrusts his goods to his servants while he is away, expecting them to invest and increase them (Matthew 25:14-30). What kind of board member are you?

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Life Outside the Box

By Linda Tancs

Sometimes life may feel like one giant closet organizer. There’s a box for hopes and dreams. A box where we shelve our concerns about money. A box for work. A box for relationships, past or present. You may even put God in a box, usually opened on Sunday for an hour or so.

Benjamin Franklin said, “A place for everything, everything in its place.” Well, that might work for closets, but living a box-like life is stifling—and unrealistic. Life is messy. It’s hard to compartmentalize feelings, actions or emotions. We’re not robots; we’re human beings created to be interdependent. Living inside the box fosters independence, isolation and self-sufficiency; living outside the box produces reliance and interdependence.

Interdependence is vital to Christian unity. The Scriptures remind us of its value in personal relationships (Genesis 2:24; 1 Timothy 5:8), teamwork (1 Peter 4:10) and character development (Philippians 2:3-4). Thinking outside the box is a business cliché. Living outside the box is a profundity.