I am so grateful for the season of life we are in right now at Center City Church. What an honor to pastor such an amazing group of people. God has brought together a really eclectic blend of people that bring different gifts, talents, personalities, family and spiritual backgrounds, etc. Because of this, we have chosen to intentionally take time to drill down to the core of who we are at Center City. Christ is at the center of all that we are and all we will become. Because of this, we have chosen to focus all of our teachings on Christ during the beginning days of Center City. When Christ...

Max and I went to the World of Outlaws World Finals last night. All night with my big boy. We have been to a couple of races together since moving to Charlotte, but this was our first trip to the Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway. SO MUCH FUN! It was so incredibly cold, though. I mean COLD. So cold that I took my sweater off and put it on Max. He's five. And adorable in dad's sweater. About halfway through the evening, I looked down and realized he wasn't wearing a sock on his right foot. He said he didn't put one on because he "didn't need it." So I took my sock off and gave it to him....

Picture a two story coffeehouse on the corner of the main strip of Uptown Charlotte. The street level entrance is a first class coffeehouse. Great vibe. Free wifi. Comfortable. Baristas are friendly, well-trained and knowledgeable about the products they serve. Upstairs is a multi-use venue that can seat 200+ people. It is used for study groups, community gatherings, business meetings, after school programs, hosting parties, catering events, Center City Church meetings, music lessons, dance lessons, art galleries and so much more. I haven't even mentioned yet that the profits of this...

I have a dream for Charlotte. I have a dream for Center City Church. I have a dream for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year and for years to come. Dara and I are filled with God-given dreams for this city. But none of them can become a reality without prayer. I believe that with everything inside of me. I have a pretty regular routine of getting in my car and driving around Uptown Charlotte and simply praying. I will drive around the town and imagine what Joshua felt when he was circling Jericho (Joshua 6). I walk the streets and pray for the thousands of people that hurriedly...

I find myself walking around this morning today saying "I LOVE TODAY" over and over again. I know it sounds a tad silly, but it's true. I love today because we are having our weekly gathering for Center City Church this morning at our house. It is one of the highlights of my week. I absolutely love getting together with the people that we love, hanging out, eating together and then learning and growing in our faith together.We are talking about what happens when someone's life is genuinely impacted by Christ today. You can read in Mark 1:40-45, Acts 9:1-22 and Acts 16-:22-34. When Christ...

I cannot overstate how incredibly talented the group is that God has surrounded Dara and I with at Center City Church. It's so humbling to see the amazing blend of administrators, painters, graphic designers, musicians, intellectuals, leaders, etc. However, we have resisted using any of this talent to spread the news of Center City during the early days of our church. We have no website. We don't do music at our gatherings. We have done no promotional materials for our community. None. I feel incredibly strong about this intentional season of DNA formation. It is a natural inclination to...

A dream that Dara and I have shared for many years was that we would one day be able to be a part of something very special. We dreamed of a community that we found in Acts 2:42-47. This portion of Scriptures describes a community of Christ-followers that formed the first local church.**Acts 2:42-47 - All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything...

Some amazing things have been happening lately for Dara and I. We have been raising our salary for the past year and a half. No guaranteed paychecks. It's been amazing, though, to see how God has opened doors for us to be able to attend things that help us to learn and grow in spite of not being able to afford to go. Here's one example:Several months ago, Dara felt quite strongly that we were supposed to attend the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. It sounded amazing, but the price tag was would have been around $400 just for registration. Through a very random course of events, it turns out...

I was gone all last week in Virginia at a church planting training seminar, so today was totally committed to hanging out with the family. Max started calling these "hang out days" when he was really little, and that's what we did all day. I absolutely love hanging out with my family. There's no responsibility greater than being a great husband and father. We spent the whole day together hanging out, laughing, singing, dancing and cuddling. I love my family!!!!

The Church Multiplication Network is hosting a Church Planting Boot Camp this week that I have the privilege of attending. Church planter's from all across the country are together for a five day intensive training on the logistics of starting new, healthy churches. I am so excited to be a part of this event this week. God is really challenging me and I'm meeting some great young leaders that are doing church planting from a fresh and engaging perspective. Love it. I'm learning, listening, growing and coming away with some great ideas to take home with me. So blessed to have so many people...