Written by Brian Francis Hume | December 10, 2015 | Gainesville

If I could give you one piece of advice as parents for this upcoming Christmas, it would be this: Don’t try to make Jesus the center of your Christmas. Gasp!

Written by NCC Family Ministry Team | December 3, 2015

It happens every year. December fills up quickly with cyber sales, Christmas parties, never-ending to-do lists. We know how challenging it can be to stay focused on what's important.

Written by Michelle Fisher | November 24, 2015 | Barracks Row

Guatemala is beaming with beauty from vast rainforests, black sand beaches, ancient Mayan sites, and mountainous countryside. Nothing is uncolored in Guatemala, everything from traditional Guatemalan dress to even Guatemala’s national bird, the Quetzal, carries with it a vibrant spectrum of color. 

Written by Ernest & Rachel Clover | November 17, 2015 | Barracks Row

When our children, ages eight to ten, come to our afterschool program, they have to recite a familiar creed, “Treat people the way you want to be treated” before they enter the Southeast White House.

Written by Jennifer Connell | November 11, 2015 | Lincoln

If you listen closely, you can hear a beautiful heartbeat of Africa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). Whether you’re hiking the active volcanoes in the east, floating down the powerful Congo River, or swimming in the Atlantic Ocean on the western border, this country is full of natural, God-given wonders.

Written by Brian McArthur | November 4, 2015 | Director, Fundacion

Bolivia has many charms. Cochabamba is a city of about one million people in a high mountain valley with a climate similar to Tucson, Arizona. It’s dry most of the year, but we have a two month rainy season in December and January.

Written by Dave Schmidgall | October 22, 2016 | Lincoln

Last month I had a conversation with my five year old nephew about Syrian refugees. It was proceeded by a radio broadcast I found myself glued to a few days prior.

Written by Alexandre Rukashaza | October 13, 2015 | Barracks Row

I wish parenting came with a panel of buttons.  On days when I feel overwhelmed, I might be tempted to hit fast forward.  Most days I would hit slow motion or even rewind.

Written by several NCC Moms | October 1, 2015

One of the unexpected challenges of parenting is running the home. There are a lot of different demands to manage.  Last week we got some great tips and tricks for meal planning.

Written by Bonnie Martin | September 1, 2015 | Kingstowne

I was 22 years old when I had my first child. 17 months later, when I was 23, my second child was born. I had married at 19, dropped out of Bible College and followed the father of my children into full time ministry.

Written by Heidi Scanlon | August 26, 2015 | Georgetown

But here’s the thing – in our modern version of parenting, that is exactly how we present Him to our children when we take the Christian life – a life that is meant to be an adventurous high thrill ride of twists and turns – and reduce it to a list of do’s and don’ts. 

Written by Shauna Oswald | August 12, 2016 | Kingstowne

After years of trying, praying, and longing to be parents, Joel and I made the decision to change course and turn our plans toward adoption.  We were both done with the emotional and physical roller coaster of infertility. 

Written by Sara Kruger | August 4, 2016 | Barracks Row

My son, Teddy, is starting Pre-K 4 at a DC public school this fall. It’s his first year going full-time, and I’m already starting to think about which cartoon backpack to buy and whether he’ll have grown out of his size five trousers by the time he’s getting dressed for that first day.

Written by Melissa | July 23, 2015 | Barracks Row

We are a foster family. Sometimes, that sentence doesn't feel adequate to describe how our lives have changed over the last few years. My husband and I weren't looking for a complete lifestyle makeover, but God had other plans in mind for us.

Written by Steffen Humbert | July 7, 2015 | Youth Pastor

In the 80s, hair was bigger, pants were louder, and portable technology was obnoxiously enormous. Growing up, my dad wanted to capture every moment of our childhood, so he invested in a video camera about the size of a fridge.

Written by Joshua Symonette | June 26, 2015 | Kingstowne

Over the last several months we have had far too many reminders that we are not living in a post racial society. Whether you cite the events in Ferguson, MO, Staten Island, NY, the University of Oklahoma, or the murders of nine people attending bible study at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, we have a problem that is not being dealt with in a way that produces change. 

Written by Tara Lewis | June 16, 2015 | Potomac Yard

“But Mom, we’re never here for the Baptism by the Bay!” My about to turn 11 year-old was super insistent about getting baptized. Last spring, she had asked to do the same, but the Christian summer camp she was headed to began the same day as the church summer baptism.