Lay and ordained readers
of Connections say
“Connections is inspiring, positive, challenging, insightful, informative, clear, concise, useful, fresh, and easy to read.”
What is Connections?
Connections is a four-page letter written and published by Barbara Wendland, a lay United Methodist. Barbara is urging church members:
to continually reevaluate their religious beliefs, their understanding of God, their understanding of the church’s purpose, and their churches’ effectiveness in carrying out that purpose
to revise their beliefs and their churches’ methods when new insight or information seems to make revision necessary
to focus on today rather than yesterday, and on earthly life rather than an unknown afterlife
to notice how their personal lives, their churches, and their world differ from what Jesus advocated
to take initiative and action to help make their personal lives, the institutional church, and the world more like what Jesus described
to talk openly in the church about how the teaching of Jesus may apply to current issues and about how the church needs to exemplify and promote adherence to that teaching.
Barbara Wendland
Barbara is neither a church employee nor a clergy spouse, so she is free to say openly what they usually are not.
She has a theology degree, years of personal reading and study about religion and the church, and wide involvement in the church, helping her to see and say what many lay church members can’t.
In Connections, Barbara takes on one sacred cow after another.
She is saying what many other laity and many clergy would like to say, and she says it clearly in conversational language.