Today we leave for Bangkok, Thailand to support the ministries of the House of Blessing. Our Thailand Go Team is all set to go, and we are looking forward to continuing the friendships that were established 2 years ago with an earlier Go Team. Team members include (from left to right) Madison Lian, Pastor Bill […]
Taking Celebrate Recovery to Thailand
Several years before joining the Chapel Hill pastoral team, I remember having a growing desire to contribute in some way to the church in the two-thirds world. I didn’t sense a call to become a full-time missionary abroad, but I did want to help Jesus Christ’s Church in under-resourced places. Next Thursday evening, January 18, […]
What an incredible weekend we shared!
Dear friends, It’s Sunday afternoon, January 7. I usually write to you on Thursday, but I’m still so pumped about what the Lord did this weekend, I have to capture it now. And you might even be reading this on Wednesday for reasons you will see below. In case you missed it (and if you […]
Apparently one of our best ideas!
Every second week of January I meet with the pastors of the largest churches in our denomination. One of our “sessions” is the sharing of best ideas; one new, creative thing we do that might be worth “stealing” by others! A few years back, I shared how we do renewal of baptismal vows on the […]
Away with the holy huddle!
In the last few weeks, I’ve had the chance to speak with several church leaders in the UK, and one comment that has stuck out to me is this: “In the opening scene of the movie Happy Feet, there is this shot of all the penguins huddled together. My fear is that this is what […]
So THAT’S what Advent is supposed to feel like!
My inbox was jammed full Tuesday morning! After the wonderful early morning newsflash telling you all that Ellis and Rachel’s visa had been approved, your notes of praise, delight, relief…they all came flooding in. My poor email program must have had the digital equivalent of sore muscles after a hard workout! It was so fun […]
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Catching a glimpse of the real Christmas
As many of you know, Cyndi and I bought a house last summer. It is a 1967 split-level that hasn’t been touched since it was built…including the original avocado green wool carpet! Even though we acquired it in August, we have not yet moved in because there is so much to be done…and we are […]
Welcome to Christmas
Last weekend marked the official start to the Advent season! It’s so exciting to see all of the decorations around the church and to hear the sounds of Christmas songs in our services. This is a special Advent for Aimee and me as it is our first in Gig Harbor. Although we have been here […]
Advent Potpourri
OK, I am sheepishly now going to admit something to you: I got Advent wrong! Usually, the first Sunday in Advent falls after Thanksgiving and we went about our sermon planning and prep as if that were so. Only it wasn’t! We were early by one week. You’d think a “religious professional” would get that […]
A family away from home
It is perhaps ironic, certainly providential (we are Presbyterian after all), that this Thanksgiving weekend also marks the beginning of Advent, our month-long celebration in anticipation of the coming of Christ. Ironic/providential in that it is also a story of a young family unexpectedly compelled by their government to be away from their home in […]