Tag Archives: Canada

Six-Pack (69)

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Welcome to the Six-Pack!

The weekend slipped by me, but I refuse to miss another Six-Pack post. Let’s get at it!

If a half-dozen links feels daunting, start with the *Picks of the Week*, and branch from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) The Quiet Strength of a Peaceful Leader (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Gordon MacDonald offers this beautiful — and unusual — perspective on leadership.

2)  When Elmer Refuses to Change
Sam Rainer considers the often prickly issue of change in churches.

3)  Culture Change: Recognize the Value of Small Groups
Lots of churches use Small Groups — some well, some less well. What’s the point anyway? Quite a bit, it turns out.

4)  Playing with Fire
On the blog for Arrow Leadership, Mark Buchanan recently posted this beauty about those things that God obsesses over. If Mark writes it, it should be read — one man’s humble opinion.

5)  Canadian Appreciation (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Sports Illustrated is doing a great series on Canada in recent days. Over the weekend, Peter King, one of America’s highly esteemed football guys took in two CFL games, including right here in Regina. His piece is a treat to read!

6) You Couldn’t Tell Me a Super Bowl Would Feel Nicer
Indulge me in one additional football piece — this one by Doug Flutie, recounting his days playing north of the border. Another great piece on a great league!

May your week ahead be filled with life, as you seek the One from whom it flows!

leaveacommentYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Which link above was today’s best-of-the-best?
  • Why that one?

Direct others to the best of the bunch with a quick comment.

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Six-Pack (60)

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Six-Pack, delivered right to you! No need to grab it from your snow-covered front step or venture to the mailbox. It’s arrived!

This week’s collection features the usual mix of ministry, faith, and anything else that piqued interest. I think you’ll be pleased, provoked, and pushed.

If six ever feels overwhelming, start with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move out from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) The One Thing You Have to Stop Doing if You Ever Want a Harvest (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Ann Voskamp: That woman can write. And this piece displays that small message by beautifully communicating a far larger one.

2) 23 Things We Learned from “The Matrix” Commentary
Matrix fans will need to read this. Others? Maybe.

3) The Innovation of Loneliness (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
This short video is a powerful and thoughtful exploration of how our “Facebook world” is changing who we are and how we function.

4) Turning Around a Church is Really Tough
With most churches plateaued or declining, most pastors I know need to read articles like this.

5) John Mark Comer and the Multi-Site Church
Scot McKnight highlights a recent conversation on the need for sound theological thought within our pragmatic decision-making processes, using multi-site churches as a case study.

6) Baylor’s Extraordinary Season and Lives Changed
Baylor is still alive in this year’s March Madness bracket. But after a horrendous 2-8 start to their season, the real story unfolded off the court in this tale of transformation, with a Canadian connection.


May your week ahead be filled with life, as you seek the One from whom it flows!

leaveacommentYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Which link above was today’s best-of-the-best?
  • Why that one?

Direct others to the best of the bunch with a quick comment.

[You can subscribe to this blog via RSS or email, in the upper right corner of this page.]

Thursday Thanks (1-5)

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fiveBeginning today, I’ll use this space each Thursday to list five things (items, experiences, people, whatever) for which I’ve been recently grateful. Consider it my “blessings count”. Ann Voskamp’s famous challenge to list 1000 gifts seemed daunting — I’m committing to 500, a two-year venture here on the blog. Better get at it!

1) Muscles
Last weekend was our church hockey league’s wind-up tournament. Playing three games in a day in an annual reminder that I am twice as old as I should be to be undertaking such challenges. But the stiffness that night was one of those feelings that confirms that you’re alive, and feeling alive is always a good thing!

2) March Madness
Today marks the beginning of the high point on this sports-lover’s calendar. While I watch a lot less of it than I used to, this three-week event never fails to provide some of the drama and energy that are unique to College basketball’s tournament format.

3) Toy Trains
My daughters’ Christmas gift was a wooden train set. We’ve since added a few more pieces to the set to up the “creativity factor”. My inner child finds pleasure in working with my two oldest girls to lay out new routes, while working together to protect our handiwork against the baby’s best Godzilla impersonation.

4) Kindle
My experimental, second-hand purchase of this unnecessary item has been a success. I love the bargains that can be found on great books (in electronic formats), and I’m enjoying a particularly pleasurable read about the Holy Spirit these days.

5) Spring
It’s not here yet, but it’s flirting with us. And after weeks of way-below-zero temperatures, that is some mighty fine flirting. The citizens of the Canadian prairies are in the mood for some such flirting!

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Did any of this week’s list especially strike a chord with you?
  • What’s one thing you’re particularly grateful for this week?

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Stompin’ Tom Connors: The Hockey Song

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stompin-tomYesterday, an iconic member of Canadian culture passed away at age 77.

One of Canada’s most prolific and well-known country and folk singers, Stompin’ Tom was credited with writing more than 300 songs. He had released four dozen albums, with total sales of nearly 4 million copies.

Yet among all his creations, it may be that the Hockey Song will go do as one forever woven into Canada’s fabric and knotted closely with the nation’s obsession with its sport of choice.

If you need an orientation OR just a reliving of past memories, here you go. In honour of Stompin’ Tom, I give you “The Hockey Game”…

Sunday Six-Pack (29)

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Welcome back to the Six-Pack, my friends!

After a couple weeks of family vacation, and one additional Saturday (plus one extra day!) to get myself back up to speed, here is the latest installment of internet keepers.

As per usual, these articles are typically ministry-minded or faith-focused, with enough flexibility to toss in the occasional who-knows-what.

If six is more than you can handle today, begin with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter ( @JasonBandura ) to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) Recommended: A Diary of Private Prayer
This quick book review is getting the first slot this week because of the value that could be discovered by following. I have used Baillie’s prayer guide on and off over the past few years–what a gem of a book! If your prayer life could use structuring and support, read this post. And then do some online shopping for a used copy of potentially life-shifting book.

2) Why You Shouldn’t Have a Position on LGBTQ’s (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
How does your church handle discussions surrounding homosexuality and gay rights? Less than comfortably, I imagine.  The following article sprung out of a Facebook post that opened with this: To the question, “What is your position on LGBTQ?” I think the best answer (in these times) is “we have no position” The question itself misses the point of any other answer? Agree?

3) We Wait Too Long to Train Our Leaders
A recent piece from the Harvard Business Review raises the corporate equivalent of what I’ve long thought about churches.  To my ministry friends, what do you think your church has missed out on, as a result of under-developed leaders?

4) Uh Oh, Canada!
Nearly six months ago, Leadership Journal’s blog published this short piece summarizing the results from a study that indicates that young adults are departing from churches at some unfortunate rates. One of the major reasons has nothing to do with Young Adults Ministries.

5) The Myth of Human Progress (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
Some have posited that postmodernism’s birth sprung from such catastrophic events as the two world wars, in which humanity’s confidence in itself and in its inevitable escalation upon the evolutionary ladder were cracked beyond repair. Living squarely within a generation labeled “postmodern”, I am not certain that the illusion has dissipated at all.  This article, from TruthDig spells out some such thoughts quite poignantly.

6) Ministry Lessons From the Good Times and the Bad
Ministry is certainly an “up and down” experience on multiple levels simultaneously. Wrapped into any graph of a pastor’s journey are facets of personal life, inner journey, and societal dynamics, not to mention the unique and multiple-layered movements occurring within a given congregation or denomination. Don Carson, for TGC, recently highlighted lessons he’d gleaned in the highs and the lows of decades of ministry.

Blessings on you, my friends.  May your weekend be refreshing in rest, play, and worship.

YOUR TURN: Direct other readers to the best stuff above by making a comment below, or weigh in on what you read.  Your input makes this post better!

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