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By Mike Leuken
Lead Pastor at Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California
It can be fun to bash and trash the local church, especially when most are well stocked with unfinished and fickle leaders and followers who talk better than they walk. Bashing and trashing have certainly become a popular pastime for the skeptic on the outside, the jaded on the inside, and those once immersed in the church who decided its persistent failures warrant a divorce.
There is plenty of convincing evidence to support a suspicious view of the church. No argument there – so refine, reform, and deconstruct away. At the same time, there is something about the church that endures. There is something about it that summons the Christian to engage. For reasons God only knows, the church has been, is, and will be part of his bigger plan until his plan is finished. “A small working model of new creation” is N. T. Wright’s wonderful job description for the church. The flaws and failures are real, but the local church remains God’s instrument for manifesting the goodness of his Kingdom to a broken world.
After thirty-five years in the mud and mess of local congregations, the church’s centrality in God’s redemptive story still inspires me. Many years ago, my mentor said to me, “Mike, the church is where the action is.” I didn’t know what he meant then, but I do now. As my time leading the church draws closer to an end, a passion rises to make space for the next generation of leaders to discover for themselves the beauty of Jesus’s imperfect Bride.
A few years ago, we hosted a summer seminary intern. . . .
Philippians 2:5–11 is one of the oldest pieces of poetry written specifically for the Christian Church. It speaks of Jesus’s divinity, but rather than simply framing it through the lens of his kingship over all creation, it paints a picture of the Son of God as a humble servant – a servant king.
This poem isn’t just important for our Christology – how we understand the person, nature, and role of Jesus – it’s important for how we live our day-to-day lives. After all, Paul reminds us that this servanthood of Jesus is the exact same attitude we should have in our interactions with others and how we engage with the world around us, shaping what kinds of people we are to be.
Over the seven weeks of Lent, February 19 through April 4, join the entire North American Baptist Conference as we look at the seven verses of Philippians 2:5–11, reflecting on and praying over each in turn as we prepare our hearts for Good Friday and the celebration of Easter Sunday.
Looking for resources for your church or Bible study to walk through these devotionals together? We’ve got you covered. Just follow the link below, or reach out to communications@nabconf.org if you have a specific request.
Bonfire 2026 registration is open! This year, Bonfire will be taking place in Medina, Ohio, May 5–8, 2026.
This year, we are streamlining this event in a way we hope reflects this purpose. There will be two main evening sessions for the entire group, including dinner, fellowship, worship, and a unified speaker. During the days, each attendee will join their specific group gathering, or Ministry Track – Multipliers Summit, MAT, Missional Initiatives alum, etc. – to engage with each other.
Over the next couple of weeks, we wanted to highlight the speakers for the various groups. This week, we’re highlighting the speakers for Multipliers Summit: Jeremy and Monica Chambers.
It is our hope that Bonfire 2026 will serve you, equip you, and encourage you in ways both specific to your individual group but also in broad ways as a vital member of our conference of churches.
The NAB is continuing our attempts to be good stewards of God’s resources by going paperless in our receipting. Unless you specifically request it, if you have opted to receive an annual receipt or one receipt for every gift you make to the NAB, you will now receive your receipt only electronically. You can log on to your account at https://my.nabconference.org to verify your email address and other information are up to date, as well as see your personal giving history.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at communications@nabconf.org.