“I do not always understand the mystery of prayer, but I know its power.”
Author: Karen Bates
Karen L. Bates operates Alabaster Box Ministry Services and is a conference speaker who speaks on a variety of issues, including diversity, leadership and communication. She is an assistant pastor at a church in Maryland and can be reached at karenl (dot) bates (at) gmail (dot) com.
Karen Bates ~ Egg Salad and Easter Sunday: Preaching the Messiness of Hope
I wondered how hungry the man was to steal an egg salad sandwich from a convenience store. I also wondered how he would have reacted to the customer’s kindness. He left without knowing his debt was paid. He was free to go. The food belonged to him.
Karen Bates ~ The Call to Proclaim
One of my favorite evangelists is known by her place of
conversion. She is the woman at the well — the Samaritan woman — who
encountered Jesus while she was filling her water pot. She had a conversation that transformed her and moved her to share her experience with others.
Karen Bates ~ Hope in a Diner Booth
At a time in my life when things were not like I wanted, I sat in a restaurant booth across from a friend as…
Karen Bates ~ Choosing Thankfulness in a Harsh World
Occasionally, I pay for people’s coffee while I’m buying my own. Not because I’m rich, but because it’s a nice thing to do. Recently,…
Karen Bates ~What We’re Missing when Multiethnic Women Are Absent from Pastoral Staffs
Limits that people try to put on women do not change the identity God has given them as ministers of the Gospel.