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As a little guy I grew up in the inner city of Cleveland, Ohio. I mean it literally. I was always the smallest kid on the block. In fact, my nickname was “Little Nofel.” I always wanted to believe it was because I was the youngest of three brothers. Since then I have never really thought much about my lack of height. Not even when both of my two sons passed me up when they were about 11 years old. However, I embraced being a little guy when I finished up as interim pastor at

By Rev. Darin Bentzinger NOTE: Blog is an expanded version of the video Video Version: Have you ever thought about your church's tagline? Many churches have mission statements. Some have catchy slogans. The church I serve has a mission statement, though it is probably a little too long to qualify as a true tagline. Recently, someone asked me how I would describe our church in a single sentence. That is not always easy for me. I tend to use more words than necessary. Yet almos

This past week, I celebrated what will most likely be my last installation as pastor in a congregation. I plan to retire by the time I’m 70 and so this will be my last call. That being said, we had a blast!! Last year, I thought I was going to retire early. Yet, God, (who always has something up his sleeve) led me to an exciting, engaged congregation that has been incredibly welcoming and encouraging. I have been energized by them and by this new relationship that God knew I

I’ve discovered that I have the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon. Don’t worry—it’s not as serious as it sounds. In fact, in this case, it’s kind of a gift. This phenomenon, also known as the frequency illusion, happens when something you’ve been thinking about suddenly seems to appear everywhere. Maybe you’ve experienced it. You start considering buying a red car, and suddenly it feels like every car on the road is red. It didn’t increase in number—you just started noticing it. Late

Compiled by Rev. Steve Nofel. You Are Enough I 1Corinthians 1:4-5 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind. Enrichment in Christ isn’t about prosperity or privilege. It’s about the divine gifts of wisdom, grace and speech that flow through the community. When we doubt our adequacy, it’s easy to forge that spiritual ri

Do you ever find yourself wishing your church had more small groups? More spaces where people could gather, grow, ask questions, and build meaningful relationships? I’ve been blessed to be part of a small group in my own church that has done exactly that. It didn’t start with a formal program, a strategic plan, or a big launch. It started with one person—Dianne. Dianne is someone who loves God deeply and cares about the Church. She isn’t afraid to talk about her faith, and sh

There are moments in life when we realize we’ve already made the decision… and then asked God to bless it afterward. It’s a humbling realization. Instead of seeking God’s direction, we sometimes move ahead on our own understanding, hoping God will catch up to our plans. When that awareness comes, it’s not a failure—it’s an invitation. An invitation to pause, reset, and realign our hearts with God’s guidance. Scripture offers us steady, trustworthy anchors for those moments.