Imagine the couple coming to meet you at church.  They’re in a committed relationship….they share bank accounts, life insurance policies, mortgages….they’re in love and committed to each other.  Now they’re interested in becoming believers and joining the church.  The only issue is….they’re lesbians.  What do you do?
Most churches won’t ever have to deal with this because…well most churches don’t cater to the segment of society where homosexuals live.  As Alan Hirsch has pointed out most contemporary, modern churches cater to people that are pretty much like them anyway.  This is …

I wasn’t sure what to expect….I’ve been living overseas for a few years….during this time the US church has changed and so have I. In many ways Velocity was exactly what I expected…big names, church-growth vendors, lots of book (self) promotion. A lot of people go to conferences just looking for the latest tips on methodology and to see who is doing what…so they can copy it. What I’ve been thinking about in the days since is what I saw that I didn’t expect.  There were a few speakers that …

I’m scared of it…you’re scared of it….it paralyzes some and terrifies others.  A select few embrace it and learn to turn it into success.  Most of us experience a failure to fail.  On an average 2 hour shoot I will usually shoot 200-250 photos and in the end I’ll end up with 20-25 good images.  What would happen if I only took shots I knew were perfect?  I would rarely shoot and I would rarely get a shot worth looking at.
We’re in a new year, with new opportunities. We’re changing …

Imagine walking into your favorite ice cream place….and finding out all they have is vanilla.  Maybe it’s Ben and Jerry’s and all they is “Vanilla Ice baby baby”…and other options such as “Super vanilla”.  They may have a few varieties….but they’re all vanilla. Imagine your disappointment as you realize no matter what you get…it all tastes the same.  I understand this feeling…we just returned from overseas and we’re finding that no matter where we attend….it’s all the same….vanilla.  And I have to ask….Is God vanilla?  If you look at his …

So you’ve read the news about the “missionaries”/kidnappers in Haiti.  If you haven’t…google it and then come back here.  It’s not looking good for them getting out of Haiti any time soon.  It’s starting to look like the leader of the team…Laura Silsby is really behind this entire disaster. Evidence is coming out now that she attempted to do things the right way…but in the end…broke the law.   Apparently she passed out a flyer in Haiti…and all of it was a lie.  She said they were a registered non-profit in …

Over the last six months I’ve seen several people finish up their term on the field.  For some they were relocating, for most they were finishing their term and returning to the US.  The thing I kept hearing from many of them….”I need to make sure I finish well.”  You have to understand the tone with which it is being said….not with confident determination but more of….”I really need to do well so God will be happy and I won’t have to feel guilty for my time here.”
The behavior that …

I’m now eight days into my stateside assignment (furlough) and it has been a crazy time so far.  We’ve been blessed to be able to stay with family in a very large home….fed lots of food….celebrated two additional Christmas days…received more gifts…ate more food…and have drank more than my share of sweet tea.
A few things about my time here so far.  I do enjoy the varieties….I used to get so excited when someone would send a package with Cheez-its.  I would get one box and they seemed like gold to …

Traveling, packing, seminary classes, saying goodbyes.  This is what my life is full of right now.  Three weeks from today we’ll be back in the good ole’ USA for a much needed stateside assignment.  I must admit, I have alot in my head…alot of thoughts and posts floating around but I honestly don’t have time to process them and do them justice….so I’ll park the ideas….take a few weeks off while we finish life here and come back in January.
Thanks for being a part of the conversation….and I hope you …