An Open Letter to Our Church Family on Change
I think the word “change” might be the single scariest word in the entire English vocabulary. Well, maybe that and “taxes.” When we think about the word change the implication is to think about the pain of giving up what we know for what we do not know.
Practical Tips for Surviving Christmas Eve at Church
Listen, I get it, there are a lot of things that happen around the holidays. Some of them are tradition, some of them are fun, some of them are even fun traditions. As a pastor, one of the things I’ve learned that there is a large portion of the community who will come to church on Christmas Eve.
From Desserts to a Vision: A Sneak Peek into “Vision Sunday”
When I started at Centerville UMC, I got some great advice from a bunch of friends who are pastors. I took the parts of their ideas that I liked the best and turned them into an idea that is going to change our church for the foreseeable future.
Our Christmas Offering - An Open Letter to The Church
This Christmas brings with it a season of new beginnings for our church family. From my appointment to our church in November, our family’s move into the parsonage to all of the new guests visiting our church home, it is a thrilling time to be part of the family here at Centerville UMC.
The Day the Police Picked Me Up
Not too long ago, I took four hours to do something that I’ve never tried before: I decided to ride with the Centerville Police Department. After setting up the ride, I showed up at my selected time and began the process of being acclimated to the new environment.
We Are Both Scared of the Same Thing
I’ve been humbled by the vulnerability of this church and that so many of you shared your deepest fears about what breaks God’s heart in our community. That sharing allows me to safely say this: We are both scared of the same thing....
Answering The Call
It was a Saturday afternoon when my phone started to ring, and as I looked down at the buzzing device I noticed it was our lead pastor, Mike Slaughter. Mike doesn’t call me that often (especially on a Saturday), so I knew it was important. In that moment, Mike told me that our some...