Joseph Phillips has proven to be one of the best young leaders that I've ever had the privilege of working with in my time in ministry. As a pastor on our staff, he disciples leaders, helps shape our culture and has an incredible heart for Jesus. I asked him to write about his upbringing in ministry and what it was like to grow up as a kid in a pastor's home. Enjoy. You can continue the conversation with him on Twitter - @josephhamilton - or via email - [email protected]. --------------------------------------------------------------------- I detest waking up early. I have never...

Dara and I celebrated eleven years of marriage this weekend. Of all the blessings of my life - which there are many - my marriage is the one that I hold in the highest regard. Dara is my best friend. My greatest strength on this side of heaven. She listens when I need to vent and speaks when I need to listen.We lead together. Our leadership is expressed uniquely, yet unified. She's a quiet, behind the scenes type. I'm an out front, social type. We work together well and share the responsibility and privilege of shepherding this community together. Our marriage is build upon the unbreakable...

I have prayed the same prayer over our church family every single week for the past three and a half years. It's my passion and my desire for each person that calls Center City Church home. I believe that it's powerful to receive a blessing from a pastor on a weekly basis. I believe it's infinitely more powerful to dig into the revealing, life changing, perspective altering Word of God that brings life to our souls. If I can do anything as a pastor, I hope to spark intrigue for our people to dig into the Word for themselves. It's because of this deep desire of my heart that I consistently...

The teachings of Jesus are brilliant, counter-intuitive gems that only get more and more beautiful as you dig in, explore and apply to your life. We will pick up where we left off with the Beatitudes series by starting on the very next verse. These most famous teachings of Jesus are life changing, perspective altering truth that meet us at a place of genuine love, compassion and instruction. Can't wait to kick off this new (continued) series this weekend at our Fall Kickoff at Center City Church. For those that are a part of our church family, remember that we move our service time to 10am...

We have a simple rule in the Docusen home. When it's your birthday, you get to do whatever you want to do (within practical and financial reason, of course). I celebrated my 34th birthday on Saturday. So, according to Docusen family rules, I got to pick the day's activities. Here's a rundown of my perfect day: 8am-12pm - Absolutely nothing. Hung out at the house. Kids playing around us. Lazy morning that included coffee with my lovely bride and extended time in God's Word. 12pm-1pm - Chipotle. Because it's delicious. 1pm-4pm - Attending the grand opening of Romare Bearden park in Uptown....

Prophetic leadership. These two words are challenging, inspiring and revealing. PROPHETIC - To hear the voice of God for the benefit of others. I long to be a man that hears the voice of God for my life, my family and our church family. To spend time in the presence of God (through prayer, reading and reflection) and listen for the still, sweet, genuine voice of God. I long to spend my days with others that will not simply rely on personal gifting or great ideas, but lean into the presence of God for wisdom, guidance and next steps. LEADERSHIP - To take others from one place to another.  I...

A building has never changed a life. Beautiful architecture has no ability to transform a heart. Top of the line customer service cannot heal a broken spirit. When God placed a dream in our heart to build Ebenezers Coffeehouse in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, we quickly realized that we were working on something unique. Memorable. Beautiful. Meaningful. Our desire is to bring a first-class coffeehouse and multiple-use venue to the heart of the city we love. We truly believe excellence honors God. However, as with every other area of our lives, the difference between a humble spirit and...

"Work as hard for me as you would like someone to work for you in the future."  Those words were spoken to me by my first boss, Pastor Ed Ivie at Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, FL. I was 21 years old and fresh out of Southeastern University. I was all passion and very little experience. Mornings came late for me and lunch breaks were long. I hadn't developed the skill of being a full-time, vocational minister. Quite simply, I didn't know how to work.  Over the course of the next five years, I watched Ed closely. He displayed a genuine combination of work ethic, creativity, passion and...

We will be kicking off a new season for our church family on September 8th at 10am. This will include a new teaching series, small groups, community outreach opportunities and a path to becoming a Center City Church Partner. Make a note that our gatherings will be moving one hour forward to 10am to give our families a chance to enjoy the service, get out for lunch. It also never hurts to be able to be home by 1pm kickoff for the Panthers game (or whatever your NFL team may be). These are exciting times to be a part of our community. I hope you can join us and bring a friend on September 8th!