Every once and awhile a big question pops into my head. Sometimes I think about those questions and am completely focused on them. Sometimes I ignore the questions because I am just too busy. Other times I write the questions down and allow myself time to reflect and wrestle with them.

I seem to have had a lot of questions lately. In fact, far more questions than answers have come to mind. That is probably a good thing because I have always found life to be more fulfilling and exciting with questions than answers. The questions have reached a point though where I think I ought to write them down and share them rather than hoard them all to myself.

The questions that follow are grouped by a couple categories: congregations, ministry and nonprofits; leadership; stewardship; and vocation and miscellaneous. Give these questions some thought. If ideas, other questions or wondering strikes you about any of these, please let me know in the comments below, via Twitter, Facebook and/or email. All of these questions would likely make for a great individual blog post and I may treat them as such in the coming days and weeks. But until then, I would love to share these with you and see if you have any insights for me.

Congregations, Ministry and Nonprofits 

1) How can faith communities and congregations better create space for those suffering depression?

2) How can non-profits and congregations  innovate; and most effectively financially create, allow and sponsor innovation?

3) What function and purpose does a congregational council serve if they report to the pastor? What are the differences between this model and the other usual way of a pastor reporting to the council? What are the potential implications?

4) What will it be like to serve in an interim capacity on staff in a congregation?

Leadership

5) What advice about life would my current self tell my younger self from two years ago?

6) As my friend Carrie Gubsch asked, if you ran into a senator, or ended up confined in an airplane with a senator, representative, or other recognizable leader for a couple hours, what might you ask them?

Neighbor Love

7) How do we listen in response to events and experiences like that of what has been happening in Ferguson, Missouri?

8) As Nate Pyle asked the other day, what is our responsibility in that listening and responding to Ferguson?

9) What is the ethical response to ISIS in Iraq? What is the neighbor love response? What is the humanitarian response?

Stewardship

10) What’s one question that you have always wondered but have been too afraid to ask about finances, donations and/or giving?

Vocation and Miscellaneous 

11) As one of my best friends from college just got engaged, what advice would I give, after four years of marriage, to a newly or soon to be married person and couple?

12) Can the Seattle Mariners make and sustain a run at the playoffs and perhaps even the division title?

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Here’s hoping for some insights, ideas, imagining or further questions from you about any and all of these. I’m looking forward to the conversation and wondering together!

Image Credits: Question mark and listening statue.