Vitorio was addicted to drugs and alcohol for 25 years. Knowing his path was not heading in a healthy direction, he searched for a way to stop his destructive habits.

Kyle Brooks, pastor and planter of Oakland Startup Church in Oakland, Calif., has set out to meet 200 new people.

Truthfully, there were times during synod when our words and actions suggested we are the church divided. “Us” and “them” language popped up often.

Bruce Feiler is an author and a regular columnist for The New York Times. But his family was falling apart.

“Weekly, I am studying the Scriptures, praying, and having conversations about spiritual life. But sometimes I feel like I am doing these things mostly for others.