By Carl Stagner Two miles. That’s how close Noel Castellanos was to the border between the United States and Mexico when he was born in Texas. With family on both sides and immigrants in his family line, Noel saw firsthand the struggle about which politicians and pundits generally only talk. Exposure to life along the […]

By Jamie Dieterle When Marlene Soffera candidates for a pastoral position, she always asks the congregation to support her in community engagement activities as part of her pastoral role. In her role as senior pastor of Crossroads Church of God in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pastor Soffera’s engagement is as a community chaplain with the Salvation Army […]

By Carl Stagner As pandemic restrictions ease across the country, more and more pastors and lay leaders are rediscovering the simple joys of life otherwise easily taken for granted. When the doors of churches, businesses, and schools closed last year, flexibility quickly became the name of the game. And, though believers everywhere found reason to […]