Publication:Pastoral Letter, January 2020 Dear Friend in Christ: I pray that you have a peaceful and joyful 2020! But please remember that peace and joy are in the Holy Spirit, not in circumstance (see Romans 14:17). This year, like others, will present battles and challenges that will test our resolve. It is vital that we [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, December 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: Let me begin this special pastoral letter with a true story about a man named Henry. In the mid nineteenth century, he lived with his wife, Frances, and their five children, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tragedy struck this family in 1861, when an accidental fire killed Frances and [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, October 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: I pray you and your loved ones are well! This month, I want to look at some vital questions about how to locate where we are in life and in our walk with the Lord, Who is our source for life. No matter where you are today, [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, September 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: I hope you’ve had a wonderful Summer. I want to talk this month about eyes; our eyes, others’ eyes, and even God’s eyes. We all know that eyes give sight, but they also do much more that is vital. I want to give some thoughts about that [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, August 2019 Dear Friends, I have been privileged to grow up among Christians and to minister in a wide variety of churches, from house churches to megachurches, in numerous denominations and cultures, in the United States and abroad. I have literally traveled millions of miles. No, I am not an expert in Church [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, July 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: We must properly face the past in order to have a better future. Too many people are trying to carry the burdens of the past into their future. I have been reminded once again of this principle. After downsizing our office space, we have multiple storage units [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, June 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: Recently, I had the privilege of receiving communion with a friend from another denomination. I’ve known him, his love and service for Jesus, and for me, for many years. It was the first time that he and I had shared communion. It was special as we celebrated [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, May 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: My purpose in this letter is to strengthen us against deception. In the story of Creation and the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:1 tells us, “Now the serpent was more subtle.” The serpent was the embodiment of Lucifer, God’s arch-enemy and ours, who was beguiling Adam and [...]
Publication:Pastoral Letter, April 2019 Dear Friend in Christ: When I entered the ministry, the largest churches were downtown, on main streets, or on the city square, central to the culture. Now most large churches are in the suburbs, peripheral to the culture. The migration of churches to the suburbs is symbolic to what has happened [...]
