Center City’s New Venue Eve

by | February 14, 2010 | Uncategorized

I’ve found that the biggest moments in my life have been hard to capture in words. Tonight seems to be another one of those moments. I can’t quite express how I’m feeling in the moment. But I promise you, it’s very, very good.

I am heading to bed with so much excitement and anticipation. We move into our new venue tomorrow morning. From here on out, Center City Church meets at 11:00am, every Sunday at Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School. God clearly opened this door for us to be in this beautiful venue, and He gets all of the glory for bringing us this far.

I can honestly say I have no clue what to expect in the next few weeks and months. We’ve been intensely focused on staying faithful in the day to day details of building our foundation. So much, I can’t even begin to muster up a guess at what’s about to happen. The only thing I know for sure is that God’s grace has brought us to this point, we have a phenomenal team of committed young adults, lots of energy and a passion that runs deep. We’ll see where all of that takes us!

We’re not setting up a single thing tomorrow. Just gathering together in our new space, worshiping, sharing in a time of communion and then praying God’s blessings over this amazing school.

So excited. Words seem to fail. Dreams are coming true. Good night!

Open the Doors

by | February 10, 2010 | Uncategorized

We have been blessed with a fully renovated auditorium that is absolutely beautiful. We get this space for the incredible price of $216/week.

I am asking our friends to pray about covering the cost of one hour ($43), one week ($216) or one month ($864) of our new venue (or any portion of these amounts). Every moment that we spend in this space has the potential to change a life for eternity. You can play a vital role in opening the doors for our community to hear this life changing message.

If you want to help open the doors of our new venue, you can give online via PayPal (click here) or send a check to:

Center City Church
401 Hawthorne Lane
Suite 110-219
Charlotte, NC 28204

Sharing the Vision

by | February 9, 2010 | Uncategorized

I had the incredible opportunity yesterday to share the vision of Center City Church at Concord First Assembly. Thousands of people across four services and three campuses heard our story. The response was incredible. People we’ve never met committing to pray for us. People coming to us afterward offering their help and services in the community as we move forward. I even had a seventy-five year old man named Huey offer to paint our future church building for free if we supply the paint.

I believe yesterday was a perfect example of the body of Christ functioning the way it should. It was a beautiful gesture of unity and Kingdom perspective.

I thank God for the fact that we’re not in this alone. God has called us to do our part. And we are simply one piece of the puzzle that makes up HIS dream for this area. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share our vision from another pastor’s pulpit. In the future, I intend to do the same for whoever God brings along next.

Praise God.

Never Stop Learning

by | February 6, 2010 | Uncategorized

I remember sitting next to my friend, Matt Engle, at our Southeastern University commencement ceremony. It was 2001, and we were about to celebrate the fact that we had completed our course of study in the area of Pastoral Ministry. After sixteen straight years in school, I leaned over to Matt and said, “We never have to do another research paper ever again!” What a glorious moment.

The last nine years have been full of life changing moments. Marriage. Children. Full time ministry. Starting two churches. Spiritual growth through personal and corporate studying of the Bible. And I find my appetite for learning increasing each year.

I want to go back to school. I know, I know. I told Matt we’d never have to do another paper. But it’s different now at thirty years old as opposed to my late teens and early twenties. I want to learn. I want to grow. I want to research and be challenged. Who knows when the time may come. I’ve got a handful of applications to master’s degree programs in my office filing cabinet. One of them will eventually be filled out.

Find your area of passion and chase it down. Never settle for where you are today. It doesn’t have to be at a four year university or a graduate program. But never stop desiring to grow. What can you do today to challenge yourself?

Never stop learning.