The World Missions Summit 2

We just had a great time visiting my family, and some old friends in good ol' Grand Rapids, MI.

Yesterday, we drove down to Cincinnati to meet up some of our students at this amazing conference: twms.ag.org

Please pray that students from New Orleans, and around the world, will be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit as they are challenged with the responsibility of the Great Commission - the Gospel to every tongue, tribe, and nation!

I'm going to try to figure out "mobile blogging" and see if I can post some pics, notes, and maybe even videos during the next two days.

Christmas Thoughts - 2008

One of the primary themes of Christmas lore is JOY. I mean, our primary Christmas greeting is an archaic wish for joy, Merry Christmas"

Joy to the World

tidings of great joy

Christmas cards are covered with the word

Joy is everywhere at Christmas - that is thoughts and words and images about joy, anyway. In reality, the holiday season is the most depressing for many Americans. Instead of joy and peace on earth, we have people trampled to death at black friday sales, crazy traffic jams, stressful shopping trips and gift list making, obligatory giving of gifts nobody wants or needs, obscene amounts of sugar and fat-laden food to keep us feeling holiday-bloated... yuck, I won't make this list any longer, though I could - just think about CNN for a minute... oh yeah, there's still a whole world out there that's dying and falling to pieces while we decorate trees and cookies. 

Where's the Christmas joy?

The joy of Christmas is the story we're supposed to be celebrating. Think about joy for a minute...

What are the most joyous times in our lives?

When I think about this question, I can think of specific personal moments, of course. But, if I think about more universal experiences of joy - times when lots of people are all joyful together - there are two things that come to mind:

Weddings and Babies.

Now, think about the Nativity story: Mary and Joseph are celebrating their wedding night. Now, it's a bit of an awkward wedding with the whole virginal conception and angel visitations and third trimester donkey journeys... but, they're a newlywed couple, nonetheless. They are looking forward to a new life together. And, in the midst of that, their consummation is the birth of a son! A tiny bundle of joy gawking and gurgling at the world.

God wrote the story on Joy. 

He didn't send angels to announce metaphysical positive feelings to the world, or send wise men from the east to pontificate on the legalities of peace with God.  He sent a newborn to a newlywed couple to commence the salvation of the world. He announced His favor toward humanity with a bright-eyed baby. He announced peace on earth through the earnest love of newlyweds.

That is Christmas joy, and it's a joy strong enough to make it through the holidays with a heart alive, and probably even a smile or ten.

The joy goes even deeper when you set these beautiful realities (wedding and baby) against their historical backdrop of oppression, poverty, fear and risk and exclusion...

End of the Year Giving

For those of you interested in supporting the ongoing service and outreach of Chi Alpha New Orleans with an end of the year gift, we want to let you know that your gifts are tax-deductible, and gratefully received.

You can give via paypal or snail mail.

Chi Alpha New Orleans
211 Cherokee St
New Orleans LA 70118

Thank you to all of you who give to make this ministry a success

Christmas Tree!

So, I finally got a new picture up there on the left corner. Here's a link to the rest of the pictures we took that day - getting our first ever REAL Christmas tree.

Christmas 08

Also, check out the new link to my Youtube channel. I posted a little video from yesterday's New Orleans sneaux day.

Uptown Church, Take Two

Some of you are aware of the church plant Jen and I were a part of in the months preceding hurricane Katrina - Uptown Church, with Joey and Tracy Kuchler (& company).

The beginning of that church was the beginning of a dream come true in 2005. Not more than two months after moving into the university area of Uptown/Carrollton New Orleans, God planted in my heart the dream to see a viable, full-gospel, community-based and community-relevant church established here. In a God-shaped coincidence, Jen and I met Joey and Tracy Kuchler (native New Orleanians) at the church they were serving at in the Atlanta area in December of 2003 (the whole story is pretty amazing).

Skipping some excitement, and screams... on Feb 14, 2004, Joey, Tracy and their two kids were moving back to New Orleans with the intention of planting a church in Uptown near the universities (Tulane & Loyola). Joey took his time working back into life in New Orleans after a 12 year hiatus, and Uptown Church began with a small group in late 2006, then launched publicly on Easter Sunday, 2005. Expectations were high, God was at work, people were excited...

August 29, 2005.

None of the core families, including the Kuchlers, were able to return to New Orleans in a timely fashion, besides Jen and I, and Uptown Church went the way of the Lower Ninth Ward...

However, the Kuchlers returned to New Orleans, again, in 2007. We have been talking and praying together since this past spring/summer, and are about to take the bold step, again.

We are planning a Christmas party for December 21st at Jen and my house for friends, neighbors, and a few other folks interested in pioneering this new church. After that, we plan to start meeting on Sunday nights in a small group setting. Besides Bible studies and prayer, we will also be getting involved with our hands and feet, serving our neighbors with love. It's an exciting venture!

Jen and I will still be focused as campus missionaries in New Orleans, and hope that Uptown Church will be established as a strong community of Christians from all walks of life that will be a blessing to many Tulane and Loyola students, as well.

Please pray with us.

ps: for you avid googlers, the uptownchurch.net website is still online, but has not been updated since 2006. nothing on there is relevant, anymore.