Confessions of a Culture Warrior

As a young Christian, I was against so much.Against drunkenness. Against lust. Against abortion. Against “the gays.” And at that time, against democrats, evolutionist professors, and the Los Angeles Raiders.A mix of ordered and disordered passions, perhaps. Though I still maintain the inherent evil of the now Oakland Raiders, I’d like to have a theologically […]

Christianity Today Debuts “The Work of our Hands”

 Jeff Haanen, Denver Institute’s past executive director, and Chris Horst, a board member and VP of development for HOPE International, are the writers behind “The Work of Our Hands,” a new column at ChristianityToday.com.The editors describe the column this way: “The series will spotlight Christians bringing truth, goodness, and beauty to their workplaces and sectors of influence. […]

Spelunking, Cave Formations, and Culture Change

“It’s riskier than ever,” Jill said, “to tell people you work with you’re a Christian.”Jill worked at a public policy communications firm in Denver. Having worked with people of all faiths and no faith for over seven years, her sentiment about being a Christian in pluralist America was one I heard often. Fear. Isolation. Better […]

Driving Back the Cloud of Fear: A Christmas Meditation

If there is anything we Americans hold in common this Christmas, it is fear.I felt it creeping up my neck four weeks ago when my dad called me on the way to work. “Did you hear about San Bernardino?” I confessed I was behind on the news. “The Islamic State is here.”  That same day […]

Jeff Haanen
What Greg Thompson Can Teach Us About Living as Christians in Cities

Occasionally you meet somebody that shines with such virtue that you are, perhaps for the first time, made aware of your own poverty of spirit.When I met Greg Thompson during our Thriving Cities symposium in late October, I almost immediately felt the weight of his glory. Before speaking to the crowd, he almost desperately asked […]

Consumerism: What Do People Really Want?

Perhaps the best response to wealth disparity in America today can be summarized in two words: Karla Nugent. Karla is the Chief Business Development Officer at Weifield Group Electrical Contracting in Denver. In 2014, she won the Denver Business Journal’s 2014 Corporate Citizen of the year award. Why? Denver’s economy is booming, and as the […]

A Gift to the World

Several weeks ago, I sat down to share about the DIFW vision with a prospective donor. As I began to explain our mission, I could tell there was a mental obstacle.“So, you can’t evangelize in schools or business or the government,” he said. “So what it is exactly you’re trying to accomplish?”Before I could reply, […]

Greatness and Grace

Today Christianity Today published my interview with New York Times Columnist David Brooks on his incredible new book The Road to Character. Here it is in its entirety: David Brooks: We Need to Start Talking about Sin and Righteousness Again The New York Times columnist asks what it takes to build character in a ‘Big Me’ culture. Interview […]

Brian Gray
A Christian Ethic for Social Media

In the age of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, how can the Bible guide our use of social media? Denver Institute founder Jeff Haanen shares insight in this brief video essay. As you watch ask yourself: How does your use of social media feed “The Big Me”? Does your online engagement foster a “broadcasting personality”? […]

Servant & Witness: John Stott and the DIFW Mission

Several weeks ago I sat down to coffee with my friend Dr. Bill Wright. “It helps to define exactly what the problem is,” he said to me as we discussed his work at the Colorado Trust. “From there, you can more clearly see potential solutions.” In his work at the Colorado Trust, they have a […]

An Interview with D’Lea Martens

D’Lea Martens is Principal and Founding Partner at Tango Strategy, which she started in 2006 to help clients solve tough branding challenges and take advantage of emerging brand/marketing opportunities. She also co-leads a Business Vocation Group through Denver Institute for Faith & Work. Recently, DIFW intern Alex Siemers sat down with D’Lea to talk about […]

Joanna Meyer
Vocation at History Colorado

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a museum? Since its debut in 2012, History Colorado, formerly the Colorado Historical Society, has wowed visitors. It’s engaging exhibits attract crowds, but walk through the soaring atrium and down the back stairs, and you’ll discover the historical society’s heart beating amidst the sawdust […]