by David Docusen | July 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
I am a big believer in stating who we are as a church in a concise way. People need to be able to identify who we are quickly and then seek to find more if they are interested. I was driving by the church sign of Discovery Church in Orlando when this really struck me. Their sign says:
Discovery Church
A Christ-centered, non-denominational church.
I thought that was so cool. I instantly connected with who they were and what they were about. All because of a church sign. We don’t have a church sign, a building or even one service under our belt, but I already refer to our church plant like this:
Center City Church
A Christ-centered church in Uptown Charlotte.
Short, sweet and to the point. Once we get a website, people will be able to find out a lot more 🙂
by David Docusen | July 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
Our littlest munchkin, Ben (six months old), just said his first word today – DADA! There is absolutely nothing in the world like hearing that come from my baby. I love it. For the record, that makes it 3 for 3 with all of our boys saying Dada first. Mary said Mama. I guess it’s a guy thing.
It’s a big day in the Docusen home. Another kid speaks!
by David Docusen | July 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
Dara and I have a precious friend that has recently given her heart to Christ. She is filled with intrigue and questions about God. Each question leads to another as she discovers the limitless love of God.
I love her intrigue. Her questions sharpen my faith. She is helping Dara and I to dialogue about aspects of our faith that may have become complacent. Like in any relationship, intrigue is lost when you take things for granted.
For example:
Dara explained the idea of baptism with our friend a few weeks ago. She explained the symbolism of stepping into the water as a symbol of our old life and being fully washed clean with the water and coming up a new creation. Our friend’s response? “That is beautiful.”
I have been in the church my entire life. I can honestly say that I had let the idea of baptism become complacent in my life. I needed a new set of eyes to see it from a fresh perspective. Her intrigue, her questions, her hunger to learn has led me to appreciate my God all the more.
I pray that complacency would be replaced with intrigue, wonder and awe in the same way that our friend is experiencing it today. May my faith be exciting, fresh and new each day.
by David Docusen | July 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
I woke up this early this morning and began getting ready for my day. Max (5 years old) came into the room all groggy with his hair wildly positioned in every direction. He held up his arms for me to hold him. I love it when he does that. He put his head on my shoulder as he was trying to orient himself to the new day.
He then picked his head up and looked me in the eyes and said, “Daddy, why do you look like a cool dad?”
I melted.
I love the way kids express their thoughts. I didn’t quite know how to answer that one so I just looked back and said, “Because I am.” 🙂
I love being Max’s dad.
by David Docusen | July 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
Dara and I are excited to pass along the news that we will be moving forward with our plans to plant a new church in Uptown Charlotte. Pastor Mike and I spoke last week and we believe that the time has come for Dara and I to embrace the calling that God placed on our life almost five years ago. Pastor Mike has expressed his excitement and support as his dream for Hope has been to be a church that plants other churches. This is truly a realized dream for both of us.
When we initially came to Charlotte, we committed twelve months without pay to invest into Pastor Mike and Hope Church. God has faithfully provided every step of the way (thanks to many of you). We have experienced such life and blessing during our time at Hope. We are now going on fifteen months at Hope and the seasons are changing. We are so grateful for Pastor Mike’s leadership and vision for Hope Church. We are also grateful for his genuine love and support for our calling to Uptown Charlotte. We announced this on Sunday at Hope and were so blessed by the response of our church. Incredibly supportive.
We will be at Hope through the end of July. We will then take the month of August to catch our breath and experience a season of selah (rest). We will also use that time to raise funds for the next step of our journey. September and October will be given to forming our core team. We will launch Center City Church in November.
God has put great dreams and great vision in our hearts. I will keep you posted as we continue to move forward. Thanks for your continued prayers and support.
