New Name and Ministry

In the last post I wrote about my early days at College Hill Pres. They were exciting and perhaps the best learning experiences of my life. My background was Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education and Counselor Education. I had no formal training in Christian Education or seminary. However, my background as a teacher, coach and counselor was great preparation for Christian ministry.

It was at College Hill that I began to leave my childish thinking behind. It was there that the full import of my own ignorance came crashing through. The staff and elders were wise and well educated and I was privileged to learn from them. Although I had already gotten several college degrees, my training in practical ministry began to sink in as I met with men and women who worked at P&G, GE, leading law firms and so forth.

I also learned a lot from people who had served the Lord faithfully behind the scenes as Sunday School Teachers, Nursery Workers, Deacons and Secretaries. I saw that all churches and life operate best when good people give their creativity and sweat to care for others without fan fare or outward rewards.

The scripture below tells about developmental changes that occur as a result of living in a world that knocks the hard, sharp edges off of us. When God gets hold of us He changes us. And it is usually through learning about what it means to be powerless without becoming hopeless.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I gave up childish ways.

now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:11-13

Over the past few years it has become obvious that the Lord is bringing about enormous changes in the social order. Knowledge from the past is insufficient to take us into the next era. But, we desperately need the creativity of men and women who have become wise in the ways of the Holy Spirit. We need people who know how to hear God for today and tomorrow based on hearing Him over the past twenty, thirty or forty years.

I am focusing on Unleashing Seasoned Believers to Love and Enjoy the Lord; who are living as adults in a psychologically, morally and spiritually stunted world. People must be fully engaged in giving and creating if they are to stay healthy and alive. Seasoned Believers need to be involved in offering their wisdom and creativity and society needs what we have to offer.

Give and it shall be given unto you... Jesus



We are changing our ministry name. The old name, Life Way Ministries, Incorporated, was a good name but it was a confusing name. In almost every airport I ever entered with a shirt with Life Way on it I was mistaken for a member of the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board whose publishing arm and bookstores are called, Lifeway.

In Cincinnati my non-profit, 501 c3 group (Life Way Ministries, Inc) is often confused withe Life Way Counseling Centers, an S Corporation. The two are completely separate organizations and have always been separate even though I am the founder of both.

During the previous year our name has caused even more confusion in the mind's of many people. An organization called Lifeway for Youth has been placing children in foster homes in several states. It is a needed and important function of a great nation. However, one of their children was placed with people unworthy to oversee their own children let alone kids under the care of the state. That child, Marcus Feisel, died in that house and the name Lifeway was splashed all over the news for months causing enormous confusion for everyone else with a similar moniker. As is often the case, the news media brought confusion and darkness rather than light into the situation.

Our new name is Sweeten Life Systems. It is the same old organization with a new name. We have the exact same Federal Tax ID Number just a new name and address.

I have been associated with numerous groups and ministries since 1967 when Karen and I moved to Cincinnati. I have written several books, monographs and magazine articles with various groups. The only thing that is the same is my name so we decided to call it Sweeten. It will hopefully clear up the confusion.

The Life Systems part comes from our emphasis on Systems that are alive in Christ. Human systems; family systems; church systems; work systems; all these are our focus.

Please pass the word around so the confusion will end. Life Way Counseling Centers will go on with that name and it is completely, totally and absolutely a separate organization from Sweeten Life Systems.