-
This fall marks the five year anniversary of joining the ministries of First Mennonite Church as your Lead Pastor. Over the past years, I have grown to deeply love you all and consider it an honor to call FMC our church home. Over the past few weeks, I have also been overwhelmed by the baked goods, meals, gifts and notes of...
-
Over the past two weeks, conversations regarding Dr. Ford’s testimony and allegations against Judge Kavanaugh seem to be everywhere. After listening and processing these confirmation hearings, one of the only things that I know for certain is that if this debate were to be tried in a court of law, I would not want to be a juror...
-
Last week, our oldest son and I journeyed down into Southern Illinois to camp and hike in the Shawnee National Forest. The lush forests, sandstone cliffs, and abundant riverbeds provide a terrific setting for memorable adventures and terrain navigation. But phone reception is scarce in this area, so forget about GPS or assistance...
-
A few weeks ago, the FMC musicians met for their monthly worship practice. Before diving into the music, they read through an article on congregational singing written by Mark Dever and Matt Merker found at www.9.marks.org journal church-singing .
The article emphasized how scarce ‘corporate singing’ has become within the... -
A few weeks ago, a friend from my grade school years contacted me out of the blue via Facebook. We had lost contact with one another during high school. After he got married, he literally moved to the other side of the world - Australia. The two hours that I spent with Tyler over coffee flew by as we did our best to recap the...
-
How do you use the Bible?
If you confess Jesus as your Savior, you likely approach the Scriptures to further your understanding into the nature of God. If so, that is excellent! The Apostle Paul affirmed such growth when he prayed for the Ephesians believers by saying, “ may the Lord give you the Spirit of wisdom and of... -
This month, you’ll be hearing about the re-formation of a variety of small groups within the life of First Mennonite Church. These groups will be a 6-session, short-term study through the Gospel of Mark which will span from July into September. The material will complement, not replace, what we are studying through on Sunday...
-
This week is one in which prayer will get national attention. Perhaps you will hear news reports of prayer gatherings among state leaders or community members on May 3 rd for the “National Day of Prayer.” Perhaps you will even join other Christians from Grace Church, New Castle Bible Church, and First Mennonite Church in...
-
Like most parents, I have a few goals for our children – targeted skills that I’d like for them to master before they live on their own. These targets include doing their own laundry, balancing a budget, changing a tire, and being able to cook at least three meals. Although there are still many years before our oldest son...
-
On March 8 th , over twenty licensed or credentialed pastors within Illinois Mennonite Conference gathered at the Mennonite Church of Normal for a required seminar on the fundamentals of healthy boundaries for pastors. Although it can be easy to feel taken hostage by required meetings, I was thankful for the leadership within IMC to make...
