Posts by Venture Church Network
REST STOP: Reflections of a chaplain approaching the off-ramp
REST STOP: Reflections of a chaplain approaching the off-ramp By Gordon Ruddick, Hospital Chaplain, Oregon I am drawn to wounded people. I am curious when I see the limp, the hesitation, the crooked smile. The shadow in the eyes. The holding back in the heart. And of course, it is my own wounds that give…
Read MoreUpdate: Long Distance Hiker Chaplain takes a Lunch Break with High Schoolers
Update: Long Distance Hiker Chaplain takes a Lunch Break with High Schoolers By Dennis Newton, Chaplain & Coordinator Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Randy, Thanks for the encouragement. I had a great time today feeding hikers hot dogs and sodas. A Christian High School Summer Hiking Camp came in and I got to invite them over…
Read MoreSettling In: Participating In Korean Memorial Day Ceremony
Settling In: Participating In Korean Memorial Day Ceremony By Chaplain Greg Uvila, US Marine Corps, ROK Military Chaplains change assignments every two to four years. One chaplain recently transferred from the Pacific Northwest (Eastern Pacific) to the Republic of Korea (Western Pacific) in time to participate in his host nation’s Memorial Day Ceremony. Following is…
Read MoreBearing Witness to God’s Word
Hi. My name’s Craig Hardinger. I’m the executive director of VCN Churches in Northern California and Nevada. And I’d like to begin with a song. “The B I B L E. Yes, that’s the book for me. I stand alone on the word of God, the B I B L E.” Don’t you just…
Read MoreBiblically Faithful
A few years ago, I was visiting one of our WorldVenture missionaries in western Uganda. I spent the day encouraging and training pastors at their bible college. During our time together, it was obvious there was tension in the room. Something was going on. And so when I asked Dary about it at the break…
Read MoreGospel Driven
Hi, my name is Steve Engram. I’m the executive director of Venture Church Network Southwest. And I’m excited today to talk about our value that we hold together of being gospel driven. We all know the gospel. It’s the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s why He came to save, to deliver to men from…
Read MoreBold Steps
Hi, I’m John Craft. I’m the regional executive director of the Rocky Mountain Church Network. And I am thrilled and excited to be a part of the Venture Church Network as we seek to fulfill our mission of helping churches take bold steps. The reason I’m excited to be a part of that mission is…
Read MoreHappy Holy Week!
I hope you had a wonderful Palm Sunday, and I want to wish you a happy Good Friday and Easter! With war, a pandemic ending, and a radically changing society, I wanted to share an encouraging word about observing Holy Week and spreading the hope of the gospel in times like these. We are thankful…
Read MoreHelping Churches and Leaders
Hi Venture Church family. We often talk about “helping churches and leaders take bold steps” as being our mission. But what does that look like? Let me give you an example out of our southwest region. About four years ago, Craycroft Church that had been ministering in Tucson for some sixty-five years, decided it was…
Read MoreUnity in the Gospel
Hi Venture Church Network. I’m in Eau Claire Wisconsin at one of our member churches, Calvary Church, getting ready to meet with our VCN leadership team here in the Midwest. It’s a privilege to get to meet with these leaders. I’ve gotten to meet with a number of our network leaders in different parts of…
Read More