“Hey, do you want to come to the party?” “Did you mean the fellowship at church?” “No, I mean the party at church.” Surrounded by a crowd of adult youth ministry leaders, the camp pastor described a conversation he had with a member of his church. A mix of nervous laughter and a hallelujah chorus echoed through the auditorium. I loved his comment. Isn’t that what a fellowship event at church really is – a party? Why can’t we just call it that? Is it not “spiritual” enough? Do

Photo by Antony Freitas on Unsplash Have you ever gotten lost before? I suspect all of us have at some point—whether in a store, in the woods , or out on the road. These days, most drivers set out with confidence, especially with GPS at our fingertips. But even GPS can lead us astray. That happened to me recently. Last week was our Spring meeting for our local Baptist Association , held at a church I’d never visited before. I had been to the neighborhood, but never the chu