This January, we will begin a “Read Through the Bible in Two Years” campaign that I am very excited about.  I know there are people out there who have found the secret to staying disciplined in the reading of God’s Word; I am not one of them.  Sure, I am in the Bible every day, since it is obviously a major part of my job, but the danger pastors face is that we often read the book in order to find something to teach others instead of reading it so that God might deal with us.  For this reason, I am excited to begin this campaign, because it gives me a built-in accountability structure that I know will help me spend consistent time letting God’s Word speak directly to me.

I know I’m not alone in my struggle to spend regular time with God in His Word.  Many Christians feel guilty over this, lamenting their lack of commitment, even though they “know they should read their Bible more often.”  Read more »

I read recently that studies show that church visitors make up their minds within the first seven minutes whether or not they would consider returning.  This means, of course, that there is a real possibility that the following conversation could have happened between visitors to our church recently:

9:58 – (driving down Main St, Glastonbury) Congregational Church…Episcopal Church… now where is this NewLife church again???  Wait, I think that little blue sign said “NewLife something-or-other…”  Turn around.

10:00 – (driving back up Main St) Okay, yeah – there’s the church.  Wait – they meet in a Mason’s Lodge???  What kind of church is this???
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This one is for the little guy.  This is for the disqualified ones, the barely hanging on, the ones who don’t belong, the struggling but still faithful.

This is for my church.

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In the spring of 2007, I preached through a series on what the Bible has to say about gender and gender roles, especially on whether or not God intends for women to be pastors or elders in the church.  To read through a summary of my conclusions, Click here for the PDF.

Many writers and philosophers of our age love to point out how impatient our society is, how fast food and high speed internet and everything on demand has left us wanting things to happen now, now, now. And as worn out as that observation is, I can feel its truth beating within me as I sit here at my desk on my first official day as the full-time pastor of NewLife. In so many ways, I know what I want NewLife to become… I can see our church transforming our community through the sacrificial love we show toward those around us… I can picture the passionate worship on Sunday morning filling people with a desire to know their Savior more… I can see the fellowship praying for God to move in mighty ways, and watching as He fills us with awe again and again at what He is capable of… I can see new people being embraced by a fellowship that sees past the exteriors and loves people as if they were Jesus Himself entering the church doors. And I can see the pastor and man I want to become… someone who is not afraid to give and love with all He has… a man who can speak the truth in love, and commit to seeing people through their most difficult times… a pastor whose passionate devotion to God flows through everything He does… a man who wants nothing more than to please His God. And I want all of this to happen by the end of the week.

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