Ministries (Page 2)
When I was a young pastor, I needed lots of help navigating the more difficult parts of caring for a flock of people. I had been thoroughly trained in Biblical exegesis, leadership principles, Biblical languages, counseling, cross cultural skills, and a host of other academic exercises designed to equip Bible college and seminary students. But…
Hey Church Family! Here’s the pastor’s weekly executive summary for you busy Valley Church-ers. Let’s worship Jesus the King on Sunday with our voices, Scripture, and ultra-warm connection with our brothers and sisters. Please don’t come late and don’t rush off! (Cecil C. says we shouldn’t do that. We’re a family.) Let’s elevate Jesus by…
Hey Family! VBS starts on Monday – the greatest week at Valley Church all year. I saw Sonja Tillman in the classroom across the hall from my office working on T-shirts earlier today. When she left I sneaked in and held up one to my chest. Ah, to be a kid again! I loved VBS…
Hey Family, Like you, I’m feeling low about this latest school shooting. More on that below. But first, something cheerful. I walked out of the restroom in building three last week and got a delicious surprise. My buddy Nathan was standing there with a big box of donuts, just waiting for me to take my…
Hey Church Family! Hands down, the high point of my week was the Sparrows Mother’s Day Celebration on Wednesday in the Student Center. I wish you could have attended with me. Sparrows gives teens and adults with special needs a chance to have fun, make friends and learn God’s Word. They have worship, movement, fields…
Most of us probably don’t use the word “diaspora” in our everyday conversations, but ALL of us are familiar with the concept. It’s any people who have moved from their original homeland. In a nation of immigrants and in Silicon Valley with its unusual diversity and people “…on the move…” we all have experienced “diaspora”…
The life of Carol Swain is one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever heard. Born into a family of 12 children in the backwoods of Virginia, Carol grew up without adequate food, clothing, education, indoor plumbing or running water. Eventually she dropped out of school in the ninth grade, was married at 16, had…
Dear Worshippers, Jesus’ resolution to die was not some whimsical decision that He made on the spur of the moment. On the contrary, it was foretold by the prophets and thus a necessity. Doctor Luke put it this way, “As the time approached for Him (Jesus) to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set…
As I have met people on my travels to various places around the world, they eventually find out where I’m from. While it doesn’t happen as much as it used to, many people would say, “Oh haha, then, ‘Do you know the way to San Jose?’”, like I’d never heard that before! The 1968 song…
Dearly Beloved, Fill in the blank, “If it ain’t broken don’t __________? What if it is broken? Most of us would respond by saying, “then fix it!” However, there are some things that are exceedingly difficult to fix, and broken relationships top the list. The history of human life from Adam and Eve forward is…