One of the significant milestones in my faith came during my senior year in college. I was at the bottom of an eighteen-month spiral that began with a career-ending football injury. As I sat across...

It was August of 2009 and we were a little over a month into our time living in the Arabian Gulf. It was crazy hot (and humid) and Ramadan had just begun. We knew what to expect from a religious...

Martin Luther encouraged Christians to consider making the book of Romans the daily diet of the soul. It's no secret Romans played a pivotal role in his discovery which sparked the Protestant...

Sometimes we just need to know what's next in our spiritual lives. As a teenager, I remember wanting a one-page overview to help me figure out priorities and what to do next.

Last time, we talked about Lament and why it is a necessary part of a Christian’s life. Mark Vroegop, in his book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy defines lament this way: “Lament is the honest cry of a...

Starting a new group from an existing group, or multiplying, can be painful - but so is dieting and exercise or earning a college degree. Just because something is painful or challenging doesn’t...

"Grief is un-tame. I want to control it. I want it to bend to my wants and wishes....My grief and your grief won't look the same, but this tool of Lament is a gift from the Lord that we can all use....

"The shaking, the quaking, all seems gone. ...

People learn best by watching and doing. Luke 6:40 is talking about discipleship when it says, “...everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” We can’t overlook the importance of...

New leaders are vital to the long-term health of the church and our Small Groups. We also know that it's easy for us to get caught up in life's day-to-day demands. We often don't consider the...

We all know the excitement of sending out a missionary. That Sunday morning comes. The prayer cards are given out. The missionary is on stage. We pray for the missionary. We are excited and maybe get...

Great groups have great leaders. These leaders are mature in their walk with Christ and skilled in leading others to follow Him. That leads us to ask, "Where do great leaders come from?"

New Groups & Multiplication ...

Daily morning rhythms generally fail to surprise me. The quiet house feels the same. The same sunrise brightens. The first sip of coffee tastes as expected. Mornings go as mornings go. (Note to the...

The Christmas season is a time of reflection. It's a time to not only remember Christ's birth but also reflect on all that has occurred throughout the year. Over the past few weeks, we have...

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching...

"You have tangibly displayed the glory of the Lord to us this week by supporting us this week, praying for us, and giving us a sense of value in our efforts to be women, mothers, wives, and church...

Sometimes, after the sun sets over our neighborhood in Chelsea, I watch my neighbor set up his massive telescope in his front driveway. Occasionally I join him, and we take turns, pressing our eyes...

As we wrap up our book group from this summer, “Making Room for Her: Biblical Wisdom for a Healthier Relationship with Your Mother-in-law or Daughter-in-law”, I want to take a moment and share a...

It's easy when prayer malfunctions to focus on our practice of prayer. ...

Why name a blog a dispatch? "Dispatch" is not a common word in today's vernacular. A "dispatch" connotes urgent news or immediate needs concerning a mission of critical importance. Rescue workers can...

As a dad of a child that has special needs, it is a priority to ensure my precious daughter is able to be at home and feel included wherever she is, including at church. Brook Hills is such a place....

Anxiety is something many people are all too familiar with. It’s the unwelcome house guest that overstays its welcome. It’s the pesky fly that gets into your kitchen and somehow always manages to...

Many good things happen when we enlist others to lead in specific areas of group life. Not only is the leader protected from extra work and able to focus more attention on the Word, but people in the...