Writing
My writing has appeared in The Christian Century, The Huffington Post, Minnesota Public Radio, The Presbyterian Outlook, Religion Dispatches, Lectionary Homiletics, Journal for Preachers, Horizons Magazine, ThePresbyterianLeader.com, WorkingPreacher.org, and as chapters in several books.
Books
Beyond the Offering Plate: A Holistic Approach to Stewardship
Everyone knows that stewardship is more than money and finances. Nevertheless, seldom do we give time to explore the profound concept of stewardship in its many dimensions, including stewardship of time, work, body, mind, spirit, community, technology, and more. Beyond the Offering Plate does just that.
Written by engaging pastors, seminary professors, and church leaders, this unique resource offers a diverse and holistic approach to stewardship. In ten accessible chapters, readers will learn how they can faithfully and practically discuss and engage with stewardship on a regular basis. Ideal for church leaders, seminary students, and pastors, this book includes questions for reflection and applications for life together at the end of each chapter. Copeland adds a special section with biblical references and preaching themes at the end of the book.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Alban imprint ISBN: 978-1-56699-730-0
Order: Rowman & Littlefield, Amazon, Indiebound, Barnes and Noble
Kissing in the Chapel, Praying in the Frat House: Wrestling with Faith and College
The stress and culture of today’s college scene does not seem to lend itself to the peace of a traditional church—but this collection of essays illustrates how spirituality not only survives, but thrives in such circumstances. For the twenty-one young adults who contribute to this volume, educational and spiritual development are intertwined; faith was crucial to their college experience. Through deeply reflective personal narratives, these essays uphold the spirit of wrestling with faith as a means for growth, as each author shares how they confronted the role of religion in college and emerged with a profound understanding of how it fundamentally shaped them.
Kissing in the Chapel, Praying in the Frat House covers the extremes of the college experience—the hilarious, the troubling, and everything in between—as told by emerging young voices at a time when writing about college students comes largely from generalized, external points of view. The stories contained within dispel the myth that members of the Millennial Generation are universally lazy and apathetic; they clearly demonstrate the self-awareness and empathy of their authors as they embark on the path of lifelong spiritual growth. Not ones to live life halfway, these essays open up new possibilities to those struggling with faith in any context, and are certain to encourage reflection and introspection in any reader.
Crowdfunding for Congregations and non-profits
My guide booklet, “Crowdfunding for Congregations and Non-profits” is available for free download. Feel free to share, copy, or distribute the document without removing attribution.
It’s written with a posture of invitation and curiosity. I’d love to hear if your congregation or non-profit—or one you admire—launches, or is considering launching, a campaign. Or, if you think I have something in the guidebook all wrong, I’d love to hear your perspective.
The intended audience of the guide is congregation and non-profit leaders.
Selected writings
“Vocation for Emerging Adulthood: Within and Beyond College,” Intersections: Faith, Learning, and the Vocation of Lutheran Higher Education, Vol 2018: No 47, Article 6.
“Sing a New Song to the City: Ambient Rhetoric and Urban Hymns,” Word & World, Vol 27, No 3, Winter 2017, p. 5-15
“Crowdfunding a New Church: A Multimodal Analysis of Faith-Related Giving Rhetoric on Indiegogo,” Online—Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, Vol 9, 2015.
“Teaching Digital Wisdom,” Hybrid Pedagogy: A Digital Journal of Learning, Teaching, and Technology,” July 16, 2015.
“A Broader Appeal: How Crowdfunding Inspires Creative Ministry” [cover story] The Christian Century, May 27, 2015, v132:11, p 22-25
“Writing Digitally.” Writing Theologically, Eric D. Barreto, ed. Fortress Press, 2015.
“Matthew 21:1-11: Palm-Powered Protest,” ON Scripture from Odyssey Networks, also at Huffington Post, Day1, and Sojourners, April 7, 2014
“Inspiration Pinned: the Rise of Spiritual Quotes on Pinterest”
Union New Media Project, Oct 26, 2012
“The Ten Commandments 2.0” Word and World
The Screen (Vol. 32, No 3, Summer, 2012)
“No need for church: Ministry with young adults in flux”
The Christian Century Feb 8, 2012, 129:3, p. 12-13
“To Whom it may concern: the art of the public invocation”
MPR.org, Minnesota Public Radio
March 18, 2011 | view online
“Faithful Budgeting: Connecting our spending habits to our beliefs“
youth study published by The Thoughtful Christian
Westminster John Knox Press, March 2011
“The Minnesota breakfast crew vs. the Twitterati: Cherishing a sense of perspective” MinnPost, Jan. 18, 2011 | view online
“Songfest: Challenges for a hymnal committee“
The Christian Century
Sept 7, 2010: Vol.127, No. 18, p. 30-31 | view online
“Setting Priorities as a Leader“
essay in the Leading Voices series at The Presbyterian Leader.com
July 2010 | pdf