God put a dream in my heart five years ago that never seems to be too far away. Instead of building a regular church facility, the dream has been to open a non-profit coffeehouse/venue for our community. All profits will go into making a lasting difference at home and across the world. We are partnering with Mark Batterson and National Community Church (Washington DC) to open the second Ebenezers Coffeehouse. It's going to come to pass. And until that day we will faithfully continue to take one step at a time until the Lord brings this to pass. Check out this video we made that gives a...

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see they they get justice. These words have become an overwhelming, passionate and personal calling. I came across these words in a familiar place: the Proverbs. I have read the book of Proverbs over and over again, but for some reason, God saw fit to allow these words (Proverbs 31:8-9) to jump out at me and arrest my attention recently. God created me with an ability to talk. To communicate. To carry a message and pass it along with passion. My heart is...

I stayed up last night staring at the ceiling. I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head: there are kids across our city and across the world that are going to bed tonight with no mom or dad in their life. There are children in our country and others around the globe that are in danger because they have been kidnapped and put into modern day slavery. This is not ok. I'm looking for people that want to change the world. Not the kind of world changing that brings a ton of fame or notoriety to ourselves. But the kind of people that want to change the world one person at a time. One child at a...

Comparing yourself to the other guy/girl down the street or next door or across the world doesn't get much accomplished. Considering that God created each one of us uniquely to accomplish unique purposes, I say we all rise up and embrace exactly what God created us to do. Galatians 6:4-5 speaks directly to this: "Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct." Let that resonate in your spirit today. And let it free you from playing the...

We are kicking off a new series this weekend called "Life. Money. Hope." at Center City Church. We cannot become fully devoted followers of Christ without becoming a faithful steward of the resources God has given us. This includes every aspect of our lives, not just finances. But finances are a huge indicator of our trust in God. Excited to bring the truth this weekend - and some practical tips on managing money according to biblical principles!

A special thanks goes out to Nathan Longbrook for designing this 4x6 card that we handed out on Sunday at Center City. It graphically represents the vision & values of our church family. These statements describe who we are and how we express our faith.

Click the link to view this week's message from Center City Church. We shared the vision and values of our church family. Exciting times! [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/30013487 w=398&h=224]

One of the ways that we continue to learn and grow as a church is to always be open to feedback from those who attend our church. We just launched an online survey to allow anyone, anywhere that has ever attended our church to let us know how we are doing. If you attend our church currently, or have in the past, I'd love for you to click the link below and take this two minute survey to help us continue to improve what we do and how we do it! Thanks!Center City Church Online Survey: CLICK HERE

I have spent the last couple of weeks clarifying and re-clarifying our vision statement for Center City Church. We'll be rolling everything out in the next couple of weeks as we continue to move forward and grow as a church. It's amazing to me how many hours can be spent on one sentence. It's worth it, though.Our vision statement is a unifying force for our church. It's a filter for us to make decisions through as a leadership team. It's a declaration for all to see who we are and what we're about. So...the wordsmithing (<--- I made that word up) continues. More to come...

I have challenged our church this week to carry a five dollar bill in their wallet or pocketbook with the sole intention of giving it away. We have been studying the result of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is a practical way for us to see how the Spirit can lead us to people at just the right time through acts of generosity. If you want to join us, get a five dollar bill, keep it on you this week and say a simple prayer every day for God to lead you to the right person at the right time!