Sep 20, 2011

I buried Daniel last Friday… He was 19 years old.  It’s been two weeks since he was murdered and I was hoping all the emotions would have faded by now but they haven’t.  My wife Kimberly has wept every day as she thinks about him; it’s still hard to believe he is gone.  He was one of the first kids I met in Newark when I moved there in 2003 to help my...

Jun 29, 2010

It’s 3:08 am as I write this…  I can’t sleep…  I woke up at about 2:00 am or so, my heart so burdened, the weight of  leaving Newark becoming heavier and heavier on my heart as our departure draws closer.  I find myself asking God why? “Why are you leading us away from this place where we have spent the last seven years of our...

Apr 28, 2010

What a glorious day this was.  Anthony Metrocavage, one of our youth just made a music video of the service.  Next to my wedding, I would say this was one of the most spirit filled worship services I’ve ever been a part of. I really sensed the power of God as I baptized these kids.   Trinity Church recently decided to both splash and dunk and I think...

I am amazed at the everyday “Kingdom Preparation” that happens in our lives as we live and interact in this world. The Gospel is actualized in us through the mundane things of life, the everyday parables that only those with “eyes to see” can decode and learn from.  I think my eyes are starting to open… I pray they continue to. One sunday after our...

As I walked around the table talking to kids during summer camp I was amazed at the feeling of family I felt. There was so much joy in the room, such unity and order.  Our kids are changing for the better.  I am witnessing the amazing fruit of the Gospel seeds that have been planted in their hearts. What a joy, what a privilege to be a part of redeeming a city...

Hello everyone…. Yes it is Christmas morning 2 am and I haven’t slept… can’t sleep… We have been getting hit with lots of robberies at our Church from young gang members in the community. More and more attacks seem to come as we push hard against the foundations of so much evil that this community has been built on for so long. We...