Laura Jennison Reed (2009) is now the permanent pastor of Villa Park Christian Church. She has been serving as the transitional minister since March 2014.

Sightings published "'We Don't Have Enough Proof': Pizzagate as Epistemological Panic" by Spencer Dew (1998), Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Centenary College of Louisiana, on December 15.

Bonnie Miller-McLemore (1978) has coedited Conundrums in Practical Theology (Brill) and co-authored Christian Practical Wisdom: What It Is, Why It Matters (Eerdmans).

Current Scholar Joel Brown presented a paper at the AAR meeting in San Antonio, “Saving Black Metropolis: Reverdy C. Ransom, Richard R. Wright, Jr., and the Seeds of the Black Social Gospel in Chicago.”

Jeffrey Lehn (former resident), Beau Underwood (2006), and Ben Varnum (former resident) returned to DDH for a time of retreat and peer support in November.

The Lamplight Project features vocal soloist Kate Jennings (1980) in partnership with churches to raise money for homeless shelters in Wisconsin.

Allison Lundblad (2012) will be installed as Minister of the Christian Church of Arlington Heights, Illinois, on November 13 at 6:30 pm. Sharing the message, "A Word of Hope for the Church Today," will be Jesse M. Brown, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago, Cynthia Lindner (1978; trustee), Director of Ministry Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Associate Dean Yvonne Gilmore (2001). Dean Kris Culp (1982), Janet Long, Senior Minister of Washington Avenue Christian Church in Elyria, Ohio, and Bill Crowl (1962), will be among those participating in the service.

Sure, nothing is perfect, but if you have a safe place to live, food on the table, and clothes to wear, the reality is that life is pretty good. That’s not true for many people in the world, and you may wonder, “How do we live in a way that honors God and shows gratitude for the good life we are living in the midst of a world full of pain and brokenness?” Lee Hull Moses (2001; trustee) asks this question in her new book, More than Enough: Living Abundantly in a Culture of Excess, just published by Westminster John Knox Press.

All our daily choices have an impact on the earth and the people around us: choices about where we shop, what we eat, what we give away.. But can we really do anything to help? Can we find joy in our own lives when there is so much pain in the world? Sorting out the answers gets overwhelming and complicated very quickly. With a blend of practical reflection and insight on topics from guilt to delight, More than Enough goes beyond a call to gratitude and generosity and invites the reader to a new way of life, one that is grounded in the hope and grace of God.

Verity Jones (trustee) has been named a 2016 Woman of Influence by the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Erica L. Brown (1997) has recently reviewed two novels in the Christian Century: Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing on October 26 and Mischling by Affinity Konar on September 27.