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Good morning, church family,   What a joy it was this past Sunday to welcome seven friends into church membership! If you missed it, James & Judy Boggs, Christy East, Rebecca Ebert, David Talbert Jr. and Denise Vos were all presented to the church as new members! Each has their own unique story of God’s faithfulness and activity in their lives, and I encourage you to introduce yourself and get to know them better.   This coming Sunday is another special time with two more typ

Good evening, church family,   There’s a darker part of Jesus’ birth we don’t often discuss. But I believe the series of horrifyingly evil events has its place in scripture for a reason.   In chapter two of his gospel, Matthew describes the repercussions of King Herod finding out about Jesus’ birth. King Herod didn’t welcome the news. In fact, he felt so threatened by the possibility of a newborn king (and the potential end to his own reign) that King Herod did the unthinkabl

Good morning, church family and happy New Year’s Eve!   On this final day of 2025, we say goodbye to a full year. It’s a good moment to look back on the successes and failures, the challenges and victories of the past year. It’s also a good time to look forward and commit or recommit to goals with new habits and routines.   In the book of Psalms, the final five Psalms all start and end with the exact same word: Hallelujah! It’s translated into English as: Praise the Lord!   S

Happy Christmas Eve, church family!   I’m still overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit’s presence and the response at the altar this past Sunday. I know the service extended beyond our typical time, but some things ought not to be rushed. Thank you for your obedience, your patience and your worship of the Lord. It truly is beautiful when the church comes together as God’s people and extends His love to each other!   Our Advent season continues TONIGHT! There’s something special about

Good evening, church family!   “Oh come, all ye faithful”   That is not just a proclamation. It’s the opening words to one of my favorite Christmas songs. It’s an invitation to all the faithful, joyful and triumphant people who wish to come and behold Him and come let us adore Him.   It’s a beautiful song with a beautiful thought. But there’s one problem.   What about the unfaithful?   Sure, the faithful and the joyful and the triumphant are invited to worship the newborn kin

Good morning, church family!   I need to use this midweek check-in to make an apology.   At one time in my life, I was a professional writer. I covered sports for a daily newspaper. At the top of the list for any successful journalist is the necessity for accuracy – even more than speed.   Well, I failed last weekend in a way that I hope you’ll forgive and maybe even find humorous. After a wonderful and busy Saturday of serving more than 100 pastors and spouses as we hosted t

Good afternoon, church family!   It’s time for a midweek check-in, and I want us to focus on the theme for this season: Hope. In this season of Advent, the first week is all about hope. There may be no more significant difference than the gap between someone who is filled with hope and someone experiencing utter hopelessness. Like many households, our family has an Advent calendar this time of year. It’s shaped like a house with enough windows and doors to match each day of A

Good evening, church family, and Happy Thanksgiving!   I’m writing this from Nashville, Tennessee, where we’re celebrating with a house full of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins! Tuesday night we enjoyed our annual trip to Opryland Hotel, complete with matching jammies for the cousins. Some of them even smiled for the photo!   Whether you’re gathering with a big group of family and friends or just keeping things small this Thanksgiving, I hope you know how thankful your

Good morning, church family!   Today I want to tell you the story of a little boy. His dad took him to church every Sunday. And his dad was known for having a powerful voice – one that really stood out when he sang. In fact, he was considered one of the best singers in the church. So the little boy made it a habit of standing close to his father each Sunday morning just so he could hear his dad’s voice ring out as the church sang.   Years later, this young man, now grown up,

One year ago this week my family and I finally moved into the house we purchased here in the Wichita area after a few months of commuting from our previous home in Winfield, KS.   If you’re standing in the street in front of my house, you won’t see my house. There’s a tree. A big tree. A bent tree. It is literally bent. I don’t know why or how, but part of the trunk runs parallel to the ground for several feet before making a 45-degree turn upward and finally sending out its