The time between semesters is a weird one in a college town. While there’s lots of activity around Christmas, it always feels a little off to me, since a good portion of the people I worship with every weekend head to other parts of the globe for a couple of Read more…
Well, it was what I thought it would be…splendid. We got to spend the day listening to Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel talk about organizational health, values, and culture. They we funny and pointed in their assessment of the Church or North America, speaking in generalizations, which were pretty spot Read more…
A pile of us–a whole bus-load–are getting up in a few hours to road-trip it out to Lancaster, PA for the Catalyst One Day event. I’m pumped about this for a few reasons: 1. We’re taking the day as a mini-staff retreat. Not a retreat for miniature staff members…just to Read more…
sometimes you have to do some deconstruction. In order to create the dream you see in your heart/head, you might have to rip out the existing version of reality. Case in point: Calvary recently rented a storefront on the corner of Fraser & Calder Way. We have been trying to Read more…
I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with some of the super-sharp young men who are spending most of their time crushing it as part of Calvary’s Ministry Apprentice Program (MAP). These guys are serving in various ministries around Calvary, some of them with me at midtown, others Read more…
It’s been a long time since I got to lead worship at midtown, but I’m getting back in the mix this weekend. I didn’t realize how much I would miss that part of my role… From praying over the songs to singing in my office to practicing with the team…all Read more…
I’m working on some talks I’ll be giving this weekend to a bunch of Penn State grad students, but I had to take a break to tune into the Steelers game. Many moons ago there was a young PSU linebacker hanging around our student ministry. He would have made a Read more…
I knew that I was missing lifegroup, but tonight was a stunning reminder to me of how good and necessary community is. I believe that I may have mentioned something about the world’s greatest lifegroup before. After a summer affected by vacations and graduations, internships and relocations, after a month Read more…
Hot on the heels of Calvary on Campus–our all-Calvary worship event at PSU’s Eisenhower Auditorium–I found myself in a room with a cluster of college students tonight. Steve Lutz is the director of Calvary’s college ministry Elements, and he asked me to speak/teach from Genesis 3. The group is working Read more…
Wowsers, what a whirlwind. I had a blast, but it was pretty much non-stop for a while. 2 weddings (+ 2 rehearsals) 2 Calvary gatherings meeting together for 2 worship/teaching times that 2 guys (Vic and I) preached together plus 2 Fiddler rehearsals (I bailed on 1 because of a Read more…