A great ill of the current contextual state of ministry today is what seems to be an insatiable desire for recognition. More and more, churches are drawing from best practices from the business field to implement strategies that will draw the most attention to their specific vision for the expansion of their own kingdom. I'm not against that, but there's got to be limits to borrowing from the business world when trying to carry out ministries that reflect the character of Jesus. However, the kingdom of God has no church logo. There is not one ministry that has the market on how to reach an...

Author, professor, and poet Clint Smith was invited to give a presentation at a conference on the topic of engaging people across racial and socioeconomic lines. He gave a powerful four-minute talk titled, “The Danger of Silence.” He encouraged the audience to speak up against ignorance and injustice. He stated, “Explore the silence of your own life, fill those spaces, name them, and share them.”[1] This is a powerful challenge to individuals that are privileged to inhabit the middle and upper class. The bottom line is that a unified effort to care for the poor and marginalized will disturb...

During the fall of 2016, I started a doctor of ministry program at Southeastern University in which I am focusing on the implications facing kids that are born into poverty. This was inspired by the heartbreaking statistic that was released recently that children that are born into poverty in Charlotte have a 4% chance of ever coming out of poverty. I can't sit by idly and not do my part. This is much longer than a normal blog post. It is a portion of the first research project that I completed on the topic of generational poverty. If you're interested, I will continue to post what I'm...

Dr. Ruby Payne wrote her seminal work on poverty in a book called A Framework for Understanding Poverty. In this classic work, she gives a working definition that brings clarity to two different types of poverty: generational and situational. She states, “Generational poverty and situational poverty are different. Generational poverty is defined as being in poverty for two generations or longer. Situational poverty is a shorter time and is caused by circumstance (i.e., death, illness, divorce, etc.).”[1] It is important to remember that poverty is relative. Dr. Payne says, “ If everyone...

Since I started studying the topic of generational poverty, and the implication on kids that are born into poverty, there have been several books that have really helped me explore on a deeper level. This isn't an endorsement of every part of every book, but I have found something helpful about each book. For a good starting point, check out "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, "Trouble I've Seen" by Drew Hart, and "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby Payne. **For Charlotte folks, there's some great ones here that will help you gain a greater understanding of the...

The Scriptures are full of stories about God’s heart for the poor. Does this mean, however, that God shows favoritism to those that are in poverty? Ronald Sider posits that while God has equal love for all people, he is not neutral in his passionate advocacy for those that are poor. He states, “God, however, is not neutral. His freedom from bias does not mean that he maintains neutrality in the struggle for justice. The Bible clearly and repeatedly teaches that God is at work in history exalting the poor and casting down the rich who got that way by oppressing or neglecting the poor. In that...

I have never been more uncomfortable, and I have never felt more alive. As it turns out, God is using tension to show me something rather beautiful in the midst of brokenness. Two years ago, I got a call from my friend, Darren, which completely changed the trajectory of my life and ministry. Darren is a longtime friend that seamlessly transitions between his passion for entrepreneurship in both the business world and non-profit space in our community. “I’ve got a property that I want you to look at for your church. However, it’s not where you have talked about wanting to be in the heart of...

I get bored really easily. Conversely, I'm like many of you - drawn to the excitement of vision and new things. However, I'm realizing that most of my life is played out in the "in between moments."I can't think of many deeply meaningful things in my life that have come to pass quickly. Marriage. Kids. Friendships. Vision. I'm learning to simply be patient, and let God uncover the layers that I don't even know exist in these areas of my life. Many times, these layers are uncovered in seasons of routine, day after day, learning to love God and each other well. Do you feel bored in the...

Sara is one of my favorite writers...she posted our story on her blog today. Big honor to share that space with her.

Today was one of my favorite days. I spent the day with my family. All day. Dara, Max (10), Mary (9), Jack (7) and Ben (5). Max and Ben had basketball games. Friends and family joined us. Jack exploded in his first real game ever. He scored 14 of his team's 20 points. Max played a solid game, hitting the only two shots he took, while playing great point guard and leading the team well. Ben and Mary played on the sidelines, stopping every once in a while for a hug. Two of our friends (and leaders in our church family), Ryan & Calli joined us for all the festivities. I watched as they...