Heidi's Haven

Loving Your Community: Proven Practices for Community-Based Outreach Ministry  by Stephen Viars acts as a guidebook for churches wondering how to become more involved in their community. Viars says that the greatest way that we as Christians can show love to our community (which is exactly what we are called to do) is to serve them in every way we can. He says, "Always say yes unless you have to say no." He points out that churches have facilities that usually sit vacant for 6 1/2 days a week that can be used to serve the community. He also goes over the importance of asking and listening to your community to discover the needs of the community, and also working alongside other, sometimes secular organizations to make a difference in the community, such as United Way. Finally, these services should be offered to everyone in the community, not just the churchgoers. Viars wants people to connect help with the church. When someone has a problem or a difficulty, he wants the...

Good morning everyone! Today I am coming at you with another book review. This time I will talk about Holy Noticing  by Charles Stone.  This book is all about being present and noticing the things around you in a holy way. The author wants his readers to live with more awareness. This book contains guidance to engage the present moment and notice what is happening in your environment with a holy purpose. Stone says we can use this mindfulness to become more like Christ. Charles Stone seems really down to earth. He often make jokes at his own expense, which I think makes a writer more relatable and enjoyable to read. It's important for the author to show that they are not perfect, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I didn't think this book was very clear or made a ton of sense. I really love the idea of mindfulness, but I think the execution was poor. I gave up after about 125 pages. Once he introduced the idea, I didn't feel like I was getting any more new infor...