Andrew Forrest is a pastor and the author of Love Goes First. As soon as the audiobook was released, I downloaded it on Audible—and finished it within a week; some parts I listened to more than once. The book is rich with Scripture, each passage pointing the reader/listener toward a simple but demanding call: move toward one another in love. Act, don’t react. The stories Forrest shares—both past and recent—bring that call to life.

I’ve noticed a growing trend in Christian-living literature over the past few years: a renewed effort to equip believers with practical ways to live out our faith in Jesus in a culture that is increasingly hostile to a biblical worldview.

After years of hearing “be kind” everywhere—from classrooms to commercials—I expected compassion to flourish. Instead, Christians, law enforcement, and those holding culturally unpopular views are often met with open and even violent hostility. Feelings have been elevated over facts, and the results are painful.

Books like Mama Bear Apologetics remind me that God did not design the brain to host unchecked emotion and thoughtful reasoning at the same time. One part of our brain helps us survive—fight, flight, or freeze—while another allows us to pause, think, and problem-solve.

The Apostle Paul urged believers in 1 Corinthians to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, even when our feelings are loud. Forrest echoes that truth: feelings don’t care about facts—facts don’t care about feelings, but faith trains the mind.

At the heart of Love Goes First is a courageous question: How do we live out Jesus’ command to love God and love our neighbors when our neighbors hate us?

Forrest reminds us that, as it is written in all four gospels, Jesus was deeply hated—and yet He moved toward others in love, palms up, arms open, fully vulnerable, even unto death. Love has always come with a cost.

As Christians—little Christs—we train ourselves through practices to live this kind of love. We choose it knowing it’s gonna hurt. Knowing we will likely be disappointed, embarrassed, rejected, or betrayed. And still, we move forward in love.

Forrest describes a clear cultural shift over the past several decades.

From 1964 to 1994, Christianity was viewed positively, so when Billy Graham invited people to “come back” to faith, there was a shared belief that sin was real and God’s grace was needed.

From 1994 to 2014, the culture grew more neutral, with Christianity becoming just one option among many for personal fulfillment, often expressed through social justice and acts of charity.

However since 2014 the culture has turned openly hostile toward core, traditional Christian beliefs. His cultural examples were shocking and I can recall the shift with my own personal examples.

Today, culture defines the “right kind” of Christian as one expected to tolerate all views simply to keep the peace, while the “wrong kind” is one who openly accepts and tells the world that Jesus as the only way to salvation. Traditional Christian truths are often dismissed with statements like, “I’m a good person— I don’t believe in a negative, judging God.”

Judah Smith and Dr. Les Parrott note in Bad Thoughts that the average person thinks about 60,000 thoughts a day—and nearly 80% of them are negative. So how do we break free from cycles of negativity and a tolerance for a critical spirit?

We practice palms-up, arms-open love. We expect it to be costly. And we choose it anyway.

This is the set-apart life—scriptural holiness. It’s not simply “love first.” It’s love goes first. Love that moves. Love that initiates and take the initiative toward sacrifice.

My dad used to call it “expecting the worst while hoping for the best,” all while continuing toward goals worth chasing: redemption, restoration, and repair. That’s where the Holy Spirit grows fruit in us—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I don’t fear failure nearly as much as I fear regret. My only fear of failure is that of disappointing my God and the clear scriptural commands of His own.

Jefferson Fisher writes in The Next Conversation that the purpose of our words should be to grow deeper in relationship—marked by trust, truth, and grace. Dr. Henry Cloud writes in Boundaries that the goal of healthy boundaries is to nurture and enable authentic and respectful relationships. Both are tools for love going first.

This past Advent, I felt the weight of unmet expectations. I said the wrong things. I misread situations. I replayed conversations in my head—hundreds of times—hoping for face-to-face moments that didn’t come. Until love went first.

I will keep walking with palms up and arms open—vulnerable, hopeful, not easily offended nor disappointed for the sake of love. Love is mostly an intentional action rather than a feeling. I can go with what I know and not with how I feel.

I can choose to go with what I know is true and set aside my feelings for the sake of love. I can choose to not be overcome with negativity. I can rebuke a critical spirit. Hostility and anger have no place here.

After what Jesus has done for me, can I do anything less?

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”” Exodus 14:15

A brand-new calendar—full of wide-open white space—still makes me downright giddy. There’s possibility there. Hope. Room to breathe. Margin for the Holy Spirit. Space to disciple and be discipled. As you begin preparing for the next year, here are a few joyful and grounding questions to keep in mind:

A. What is your focus for the coming year?
As a church? As a family ministry? Clarity here shapes everything else. Where I serve, our first year was about getting our legal legs under us and getting the right people in the right seats on the bus. The second year was all about experimentation with what was in our hands, shared discipleship language, and setting organizational priorities. This upcoming year will be about systems and processes to scale disciple-making.

“Putting functional systems in place will never be urgent, but without them, everything becomes urgent.” Sustainable Children’s Ministry by DeVries & Safstrom

B. What days are already “known” or traditional in your church and community?
These are opportunities for family ministry to partner with, not compete—inviting disciples of all ages and stages to belong to the larger story.

C. Where do you already have champions?
Name the leaders, and their wingmen/wingwoman, who can take the point, champion, and advocate. Shared leadership is a gift.

D. What personal and professional priorities must be guarded?
Your calendar should protect what matters most, not crowd it out.

E. Plan 18–24 months ahead.
I do this every January and June. Future-you will be so grateful.

F. Remember: calendaring is not planning.
Calendaring is about partnership. It’s placing faith formation events and seasons where they complement the whole church—the full Body of Christ—not just one ministry. When we say ‘we are partnering with the families we serve’ we agree that the rhythm of our community has a say in what is prioritized and reasonable for families.

Now gather your tools.

Start with a blank paper calendar. Yes—paper. It helps you see the whole year at once. You can always transfer it to your apps later.

Block your vacation and Sabbath first.
Shauna Niequist writes in Present Over Perfect: “I fake-rested instead of real-rested, and then I found that I was real-tired.” Loving your work is a gift—but it makes it easy to overextend. A healthy “yes” requires a faithful “no.” Sustainability matters. You’re in this for the long haul.

Pull out last year’s calendar.
Note when planning actually needs to begin and mark cultural holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and time change weekends. For example:
• Round Up in October requires June planning (90-120 days out at least for all big events)
• Palm Sunday sometimes falls during spring break; Advent season theme set in August
• Confirmation season requires counting backwards from Confirmation Sunday to the start of school with a parent meeting two weeks before
Patterns matter.

Add the church calendar.
Avoid conflicts with space, volunteers, and major seasons like Advent and Lent. Big church-wide events can drain volunteer energy—plan wisely. Be sure your regular Sunday morning “daily bread” is protected. Anything else is whipped cream. Add those items which are part of the church’s DNA.

Have a pencil and a really good eraser.
Trust me. Neat erasing matters. Only holidays and birthdays go on in ink.

Look at the school calendar.
Know when families are gone—and when they’re home. Fall and spring breaks often mean lower attendance, which can open creative doors. Pay attention to those fifth Sundays, how Easter and Christmas fall during the week.

Check the youth calendar.
Family ministry often rely on youth partnerships, and it’s beautiful for all ages. Coordinate summer outreach, retreats, mission trips, and holidays so families aren’t stretched thin. I’ve set a calendaring meeting with our youth/young adult lead for today, Dec. 30th to get a balcony view for the next 18 months together. Partnership.

Mark networking, training, and conference dates.
Getting out of your own building. Learning alongside others keeps you sharp, encouraged, and energized. Early-bird pricing is also a blessing. Right now, until January 3rd, it’s only $93 per person to attend the Global Methodist Church R3 Gathering for North and South Georgia for two days, one night in March. Register here.

And yes—college football schedules.
We live in the South. Enough said.

Now map out the next 18 months. Set aside uninterrupted time. Pray before, during, and after. Honor the rhythms of your community. Be mindful of volunteers’ time and families’ capacity. Map Sundays and Wednesdays carefully—this is the faithful, weekly work. When we are scheduling team meetings either monthly or quarterly, be mindful of families being separated where one or both are at church more than three or four nights in a week. Remember: we are in a discipleship partnership with each family.

When you’re finished… you’re not really finished. The calendar will change. It always does. But now you have a strong, prayerful starting point—one that keeps priorities aligned, allows you to plan well, communicate clearly, and reminds your family (and yourself) that they matter just as much as the ministry. Then it’s time to place it on the church calendar, reserve rooms, and set up online registrations so you can prepare a ‘cadence of communication’ for your team, your family, and the families you serve.

And that’s a beautiful way to begin a year.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

The purpose of Hallelujah Camp was simple and focused: to practice and prepare a children’s Christmas presentation for worship the very next day. It was a four-hour, bring-your-own-lunch camp on Saturday from 10am–2pm, all leading to a four-minute+ presentation in Sunday worship.

The idea was inspired by a children’s shadow presentation I had seen online last year and hoped to replicate. Hosting the camp the day before nearly guaranteed student participation, and parents clearly understood the expectation when they registered for any children ages kindergarten through fifth grade.

We had just celebrated our Live Nativity the previous Sunday, so costumes were already on hand. We added only a few simple props—two trumpets, a star, shepherd staffs, a plush baby, and a camel cutout easily prepared by their creative Bible study teacher.

The Wednesday evening before camp, the director and I met with our worship, music, and tech leaders to coordinate shared space, lighting, sound, spotlight placement, and the screen needed for a true shadow effect. On this particular Sunday we were also enjoying the seasonal choir with their community program that Sunday night, Confirmation, baptism, and membership on top of all the other Sunday morning worship goodness. Logistics were a premium consideration in that shared space. These servant leaders were gracious, helpful, and wonderfully resourceful. A follow-up email outlining our plan—along with a link to the original shadow play for visual reference—helped ensure everyone was aligned.

Camp day flowed like this:

• 10:00am – Students arrival with lunch and water bottles
• 10:15am – Watch the original shadow play; assign parts; group students into “actor teams”
• 11:00am – Nativity sticker craft in another room (a creative break for kids and planning space for leaders)
• 11:15am – Stage students with props to learn shapes and body positioning
• 11:45am – Lunch break while the director reviewed staging
• 12:00pm – Costumes on; props in hand; dress rehearsal with floor marking
• 1:00pm – Outdoor break for fresh air walking around the buildings
• 1:15pm – Two full dress rehearsals with adjustments inbetween
• 1:45pm – Return to children’s spaces; label costumes; choose ornaments and receive plush baby Jesus keepsakes

One of the best conversations happened with our tech lead as we decided how to present the shadow play for livestreaming. We chose to capture the image on the monitors instead of the shadow screen—and it turned out beautifully. That choice allowed the segment to be easily shared on its own. Our incredible communications leader made it shine for sharing later in the week online.

Perhaps the most joyful discovery of all was this: the children didn’t see the shadow play as a performance. They worked together as a cast, telling a story. No stage bow and they simply returned to their seats with their parents. Even more beautifully, our creative director expanded the ending to include the full story of Jesus—His death on the cross, burial in the tomb, Mary kneeling in grief, and His resurrection. The Gospel was shared in its fullness through song and image.

Because of this success, we’re planning another shadow play with music for Lent. With a major worship center renovation ahead and limited live-staging options, we’ll host another Hallelujah Camp on a Saturday during Lent and record the presentation at the conclusion of camp. The worship team will then choose the best moment to share the recording during next year’s Palm Sunday or Easter Sunday services.

Want to see it for yourself? Check it out here.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.” Matthew 1:22

There is nothing quite like watching families pet sheep, listening to angels giggle in wings too big, and hearing “Joy to the World” under December stars. A Live Nativity is holy, joyful chaos—and completely worth it! Here are 12 things we’ve learned that make it wonderful.

1. Book the animals early—really early.

Animals make the magic! Alpacas, goats, sheep, chickens—adorable, friendly, and budget-friendly. Book your petting zoo a year in advance. I’ve used Darlene Hicks from Barnyard Friends for three churches—she’s fantastic. Camels and donkeys are cool but expensive (and feisty). Sheep, goats, and a couple of alpacas work beautifully. This is a great meeting place for all ages and stages so give them a huge part of the grassy lot.

2. Get it on the church calendar and make it an all-skate.

We host on the first Sunday of December, 5–7pm. Teams arrive at 3pm for setup so we’re ready to welcome the community by 4:45pm.

3. Choose your space and theme.

Every church is different!
• Circular drive? → Drive-thru nativity with character stops
• Field? → Bethlehem village
• Bright lot with grass? → Multiple photo-ops and markets
This year we created a Bethlehem Marketplace with five themed booths, lights, power access, cookies, cocoa, and cider for guests. Last year we used Christmas In The Four Gospel Homes as inspiration for 4 booths representing Matthew/Family Photos, Mark/woodworking & made crosses, Luke were the live animals and craft station, John were the candles and various light lanterns to make.

4. Start sign-ups three months out.

Invite life/study groups to “own” a market, plan costumes (layered—it’s cold!), and pull in every age group. I confess to making multiple stops at the Bread Market for chunks of fresh bread.
Adults dressed in Bethlehem costumes with costume fun:
• Angels: 5th grade & younger
• Shepherds: 6th grade +
• Holy Family & Roman Soldiers & Lead Angel: Youth students
Two acting teams = four reenactments without exhaustion!

5. Bring in community music.

Between reenactments, invite choirs, duos, or school groups. This year we had:
• Church seasonal choir
• A guitar/singing duo we love
• Elementary school chorus (secular + Christmas movie favorites!)

6. Add a Family Photo Station.

A huge hit! Bright lights + balloon arch + backdrop + two Bluetooth printers = lines all night. Black photo frames made every picture keepsake-worthy. These pics fill social media for weeks!

7. Parking, safety, and hospitality matter.

Orange cones, right-turn-only entrance/exit, a deputy at the entrance, volunteers parking in the back—be a good neighbor. Luminaries with LED candles and ziploc bags of sand from my backporch sand box set along the curbs set a warm welcome and can be reused on Christmas Eve.

8. Multiple opportunities for student-led Agent projects.

High schoolers run attendance counters, sound booth with a coach, play the Luke 2 roles, set up hay bales, carry tables, assemble market frames, and light luminaries. They arrive early ready to serve—and they shine.

9. Visual unity makes everything look polished.

Wooden entrance frames for each market create a cohesive look. A skilled church member built ours, and a team workday set everything in place the Saturday before. But what goes on inside the shop is totally up to the life group with the understanding they are to have an interactive project, some teaching, and make space for a new friend in conversations.

10. Reenact Luke 2 every 30 minutes.

Middle school shepherds kneel; little angels race to the manger shouting “Glory!”; families sing “Joy to the World!” at the end. We rehearse for just 30 minutes after church that day—and it works.

11. Take LOTS of photos.

Capture animals, laughter, families, interactions across generations. Quick turnaround = fresh posts and future promo material.

12. Don’t just be friendly—be interested.

People come hoping to connect. Train teams to start lingering conversations:
• “What are you most excited for this Christmas?”
• “What do you think Bethlehem felt like 2,000 years ago?”
• “Where do you find hope this season?”
Listen well. Love well. Relationships start and go deeper in those moments.

Budget for animals, hay (65–70 bales), light towers, security, photo paper, cocoa, cider—and joy.
The next day, celebrate what God did. Send thank-yous, texts, calls. Ask your team: “Who did you meet?”

Listen to their stories, collect photos, save everything for next year, and praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

A Live Nativity is holy work wrapped in hay and giggly angels shouting, “Glory! Glory! Glory!” and completely worth it.

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go!” Luke 2:15

Confirmation is a special season—one filled with learning, growing, and practicing faith together in an intergenerational setting. For our 7th–8th grade students, it’s a time to explore what it means to follow Jesus personally, not just because their family does. We welcome students in two grade levels each year, knowing that everyone matures at different times, and sometimes life just happens. It’s an intentional season from August through mid-December.

Our Confirmation Cohort is a journey toward baptism (or remembering your baptism) or confirmation and becoming a professing member of our local Global Methodist Church. Students learn what it means to make a public profession of faith in Jesus, to be saved by grace, and to live out their commitment in community through the life of the Church.

We walk through the program in the fall. Why fall? Because it’s busy—and learning to put faith first during busy seasons is a lifelong skill. And when the cohort ends, Advent begins—a perfect time to step into service, worship, and holy rhythms as a new year approaches. Parents aren’t required to attend, but they are always welcome to join us. Students in 9th grade and older participate in the adult membership classes.

Our text is The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way by Phil Tallon and Justus Hunter. Each student receives a book and completes readings before class so our conversations can be rich and meaningful. Each class is led by various servant-leaders in our church and directed through youth ministry.

Students participate through a point system which includes classes, serving at Family Ministry events, retreats, and ministry involvement. Confirmation isn’t just about attending one thing; it’s about a balanced experience—learning, serving, worshiping, and building relationships with one another and with Christ. We even retreat with other churches so our students can meet the wider Body of Christ beyond their own youth group as we model a connectional approach.

I have the joy of teaching the final Sunday before Confirmation Sunday. Many of these students I’ve known since preschool, so connecting what they learned in children’s ministry—The Ten Commandments, Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer—with what they’re learning now is a gift. We finish the last chapters of The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way together.

Our lesson centers around “What time is it?”
From the Lord’s Prayer: Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
It’s time to live out God’s Kingdom—right now.

What can Christians do to bring God’s Kingdom on earth?

• Prioritizing gathering together in Christian community (Hebrews 10:25)
• Praying and being a thankful people (1 Thessalonians 5:16–17)
• Loving God first followed by loving our neighbors by our personal work and holy habits (Mark 12:30–31)
• Believing in Jesus and living as givers—of our time, gifts, and resources (John 3:16)
• Reading and studying Scripture because we are people of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

“How do Wesleyans bring God’s Kingdom to earth?”
In our faith tradition, as Wesleyan Methodists, we practice the sacraments:

• Baptism—remembering our identity in Christ, repenting, confessing, belonging to God’s family with all its accountabilities and privileges (Matthew 28:18–20)
• Holy Communion—remembering Jesus, gathering in community at the table as friends with all its accountabilities and privileges (1 Corinthians 11:26)

We follow a path of scriptural holiness—becoming more like the Jesus of the Bible through holy habits, friendship, accountability, grace, and love as we invite the Holy Spirit to His work through His people.

This Advent our church is being guided through Seedbed’s Brought To The Light by Anna Grace Legband. Just this week she wrote about the regular practices of waiting well as we wait for God’s best and hope in God Himself: remember, prayer, worship. May we decide and purpose in our minds and hearts to see the goodness and love of God for His people as Wesleyan Methodists through these practices.

I wrap it up with the stories and differences of faith formation practices of Rev. George Whitefield (saved with no follow-up/discipleship) and John Wesley (saved, classes, bands, and continuing in holiness). Living a sanctified life will be inconvenient and different from those around us, yet with Jesus as our King, can we do anything less?

Next Sunday, we present our students who have met the expectations for Confirmation and membership. They will profess Christ as Lord and step into life as active disciples taking personal responsibility for their faith within the Christian community. Works don’t save us, but they reveal the fruit of the Spirit alive in us. We look to Jesus, to John and Charles Wesley, and even to Susanna Wesley as examples of faith lived out loud.

Confirmation may not appear by name in Scripture, but the journey reflects our call to grow in faith, participate in Christian community, and walk in sanctification. It is a faith milestone—one filled with joy, surrendered commitment, heritage, and hope.

And what a joy it is to see our students take their place in the life of the Church!

What does Confirmation look like in your local church?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Autumn is typically heavy with CONNECT events where multigenerational folks gather for fun, food, and fellowship. We call them CONNECT events because the desired outcomes include connecting with our community to begin and/or build relationships with one another on campus which we hope will grow into a saving knowledge of Christ through faith formation.

The CONNECT event fall schedule looks like this:
August – Tailgate Party
September – Fall Life Groups in full swing
October – RoundUp
November – Friendsgiving
December – Live Nativity

Friendsgiving has become one of our most anticipated annual gatherings. Held the Wednesday before Thanksgiving week from 6–8pm, it all begins with small groups of servants—Ambassadors, staff, the décor team, Confirmation Class, and the kitchen crew—arriving in waves starting at 3pm to stage the space. Everything on campus is cancelled to yield to this CONNECT event. It’s a giant potluck, and we provide the turkey, dressing, and gravy for 200 prepared and delivered by a local chef so the whole event is a generous, free gift to our community.

Tables were covered in long sheets of brown paper, inviting all ages of the staging team to write Scripture, doodle place settings, and get creative while a Thanksgiving playlist played in the background. It was slow and peaceful—simple beauty in motion.

This year we also cut the food line time in half since we:

1. Set up two self-serving lines on opposite sides of the room using thin tables lined up to serve down both sides, with food arranged one-row deep, so the line could keep moving.
2. Used 10-inch plates so folks could easily come back for seconds.
3. Placed desserts in their own room with spoons and dessert paper plates.
4. Offered iced water at a dedicated station near the kitchen with various sized cups.

Live acoustic guitar music welcomed guests and filled the room while people visited and waited in line for food. We ate with background, Bluetooth speaker music, then another live song to transition to Thanksgiving Bingo joyfully led by our 4th–5th grade Ambassadors, complete with Kroger gift cards as prizes. The Bingo cards came from Teachers Pay Teachers, and each player received Honey Nut Cheerios as playing pieces—sorted ahead of time by the Ambassadors themselves in 3oz paper cups on a cart.

We played three rounds: the classic straight line of 5-in-a-row, the four corners, and finally a cross. As the Ambassadors learned to speak confidently into the microphone, the room shifted between bursts of laughter and attentive silence waiting for the next item to be called. It was delightful.

If kids eat quickly, we had a station for putting together the throws for the upcoming local Christmas parade. Many hands make for light work as we prepared 1500 throws with candy and notices to promote the Live Nativity & Christmas Eve service. This is an intern-led project.

Our people—and our community—came ready to talk, connect, and share the evening together. The table-life was rich.

And every one of our desired outcomes came to life:

1. Personal connection—the tables were wonderfully long and full, starting and growing relationships with one another.
2. Shared generosity—the abundance of food, desserts, and supplies overflowed.
3. Servant-hearted skill-building—children and youth led, decorated, staged, spoke, and served.
4. Shared cultural traditions—our Spanish-speaking church family on campus brought food and joined wholeheartedly in every moment.
5. Active invitation—19% of attendees came through personal invites from our church family.

I truly believe the Lord loves a good party. The seven Old Testament feasts show us that God delights in His people gathering—on purpose, with purpose, around meaningful food and holy remembrance. There’s something sacred about sharing life around a table filled with delicious food, remembering our spiritual heritage, nurturing meaningful relationships, and glad hearts.

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46–47

At the New Room Conference this year, Jon Thompson shared a powerful challenge: instead of only asking God for a YES, ask Him for His NO. A holy NO can protect, redirect, and launch us into God’s better story. I believe it—because I lived it.

On November 18, 2023, after months of prayer, preparation, and trusting the Lord through denominational conflict, our church received a firm and final NO. And do you know what we did?

We worshipped!

Because God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

As this delegate drove home from that painful and dishonoring special called conference, our families gathered to worship the Lord who had given them clear marching orders. Though slander swirled, mics were cut off, and long-trusted relationships were lost, God had been preparing them. The grief had done its work. They were ready to follow His leading. Read more about that here.

The very next morning—November 19—at the end of what should’ve been a normal Sunday school hour, parents quietly picked up their children and walked across the street to begin a brand-new congregation inside a funeral home. They carried nothing but faith, courage, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. No idols were taken and they started from a sacred scratch.

And the miracles began.

They gathered for the first business meeting on that Monday evening – November 20 – voted on a name, consecrated a leadership team, and called to offer me a position as the first hire. New families arrived weekly—no signage, no screens, no fancy systems—just hungry hearts. Panera became our office, Wesleyan discipleship became our shared language, and Jesus remained our uber-focus. Within weeks, God provided a permanent place to gather, grow, and serve.

The funeral home became a birthplace.

We rented folding chairs, sang with joy, and let the Holy Spirit lead every next step. Children wore holes in their pants playing on the floor, supplies traveled by wagon, and worship didn’t require perfection—just presence. Read about that here.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

Holy Communion was served outside resembling a grape slushie as we bundled for the below-freezing Georgia winter. We prayed, we sang, we gathered empty suitcases for local CASA children (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for the first local mission, we used battery-operated tapers for Christmas Eve, hung out in a barn with a ewe and a pig to retell the Luke 2 account with children at our first Holy Communion & Campfire Christmas, and finished with carols accompanied by guitar and a high schooler’s trumpet. It was 43 degrees and pouring down rain. There was work to do. We weren’t building a church—God was building a people.

On February 29, we closed on property and three buildings less than a mile away. It wasn’t smooth—there were threats, criticism, vandalism, and seasons of real physical and spiritual resistance—but God kept providing supernatural solutions. We learned, we made space for the Lord to work out His best for all, we prayed James 1:19 often, and we kept doing as much good as possible with what was in our hands.

By the end of year one, we had access to the entire property, children and youth spaces were almost completely renovated, missions expanded locally and globally, and our community discovered new ways to worship, serve, and grow together.

This week, on November 20th, we celebrate our second birthday! Looking back the first year, we dedicated ourselves to getting our legs under us with legal papers and potluck table life often. The second year, we dedicated ourselves to designing a discipleship pathway and experimenting with environments, community partnerships, and living into the COMMUNITY part of our name. This coming year we’ll dedicate ourselves to editing well and solidifying processes and systems to beat the devil and make Heaven crowded.

And through it all, one truth remains:

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

Last Sunday, we honored the leadership team who walked through the fire with faith, unity, humility, and holy courage. I’ve never known more smart, wise, humble servants of Jesus with such integrity. I would walk over hot coals for these people and I get emotional thinking of all the Lord accomplished through their faithfulness. Each one has talked me off the ledge more times than I care to admit. The crowns they will throw at our Savior’s feet when they see Him face to face will be so heavy and so many.

As our pastor reminded us last Sunday evening, we are a global, global, global, global, very Global Methodist Church—called to share Jesus with neighbors, nations, and the next generation through Spirit-led worship, discipleship, mission, and Wesleyan community.

Because this is our hope and our assignment: “Always be prepared to give an answer… for the hope you have.” —1 Peter 3:15

And we have hope.

Oh, do we ever.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36

Last week, I shared about God’s beautiful design for friendship. He created us to live in community—mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and yes, even chemically! When we choose friends who love and pursue Jesus, their faith helps lift ours even lessening decision fatigue. Psychologists might call it mind-melding; Scripture calls it discipleship and fellowship.

Let me introduce you to a few girlfriends-in-the-Lord we all need:

An Esther is a brave intercessor—someone who prays boldly and reminds you of your God-given calling. Linda L. was mine. She stood only 5’4” but carried a 10-foot personality. After I left a church staff wounded and exhausted, she pulled me back toward God’s calling with a firm phone call and a chicken quesadilla. She spoke truth, poured healing over me, and would not let me quit loving littles to Jesus. She is with Jesus now, but she will always be an Esther. I am in ministry today because of her pushing me to get myself together and whole, trusting the One who called me to provide a place to live out His calling on me. I am forever grateful.

A Ruth is faithful, not flaky. She stands beside you through loss and reminds you that you are never alone. Kate M. is mine. She saw something in me I couldn’t yet see in myself when I moved to Georgia. She let me start a Sunday school class for 4th–6th grade girls, and that small “yes” led to my calling as a professional Christian educator. She is a Ruth.

A Deborah is a wise, courageous leader with a prophetic voice; she rallies the troops. She speaks truth and calls you higher—even when you’re uncertain. Robin G. is mine. We met because of eclipse glasses—yes, really! In exchange she said yes to serving in children’s ministry and together we’ve started things, ended things, and started things again. She leads with boldness, and we share life through a Wesleyan Band. She is a Deborah.

A Mary believes in God’s plan for your life—even when it makes no sense. She lives her faith out loud with a heart full of YES. Judy S. is mine. Through ancient holy habits and courageous surrender, she walks through every door God opens. I get to learn from her, laugh with her, pray for her, share tables with her, be led by her, and cheer her on. She is a Mary.

An Elizabeth celebrates you without competing. She encourages, listens deeply, and shares a rich history with the Lord—so you don’t have to explain every detail. Melinda M. is mine. Long before “prayer partners” were part of our faith formation system, Melinda asked me to be hers. Every Monday morning, we meet for coffee and almost two hours of prayer and share. We share the same season of life. Melinda champions women, serves faithfully, and encourages with skill.

Rebecca M. is mine, too. We also share the same season of life and her ministry is alongside her husband. They are attached at the heart and hip. I have watched her raise boys to men, love grand girls to the Lord, and she loves through food, story, and table life. She’s funny, she is walking hospitality, and loves tea. Melinda and Rebecca are Elizabeths.

An Anna radiates joy and has a ministry of presence from an overflow of years of worshipping the One and Only who has sustained her in all of life. She loves her local church, serves through faithful presence and prayer, and lifts others so they can shine. Age doesn’t slow her—she keeps saying yes to God. Janet W. is mine. She writes notes of blessing, prays boldly, serves at a food pantry, ministers in prison through Kairos, invites women to Emmaus, and makes everyone fell special in her presence. She is darling with a side of precious! Mr. Bob says she’s the most interesting person we know. She is an Anna.

These are the kinds of friends every believer needs—and the kind of friend each of us can be as the Lord sanctifies us on this side of Glory.

So… where do you land? Which friend do you long to become? If you don’t have these women in your life yet, I can tell you where you’ll find them. At your local church.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31:25-26

We hear a lot about decision-making, but did you know the average adult makes about 35,000 decisions every day? Some are tiny—like which shoes to wear. Others are life-shaping—like where to live or work. But there’s one crucial decision we hardly notice: Who do I spend my time with?

As I prepared for a women’s ministry retreat at a nearby local church, I read Karen Riddell’s Friendship Matters and Melanie Shankle’s Nobody’s Cuter Than You. Shankle reminds us that childhood friendships were mostly about location, location, location. Whoever lived nearest became our people!

But research is showing that, as adults, friendship is one of the most important choices we will ever make.
Neuroscientist Dr. Moran Cerf at Northwestern University explains why: The people we spend time with actually shape how we think, feel, and even how healthy and joyful we are. Over time, our brain waves begin to sync with theirs—our minds literally wire together and fire together. Isn’t that amazing?
That’s God’s good design.

God’s good design includes a hormone called oxytocin which is the neurochemical that bonds mamas to babies and wives to their hubbies. It is this hormone that is released in our minds and throughout our bodies when we laugh, hug, make eye contact, or talk with friends. It literally causes a rush of positive emotions. 

Riddell goes on to write, “Oxytocin has a fantastic superpower: its release triggers the flow of other feel-good neurochemicals, creating a chain reaction for contentment.” God’s good design is that oxytocin’s effect is amplified by estrogen.

Men, on the other hand, have far more testosterone, which actually blocks oxytocin—so friendship feels different for them.

As women age, forming new friendships can become harder, but our need for connection doesn’t disappear and it’s still God’s good design that women discover deep connections with one another. And Scripture affirms this over and over: we were created for connection.

One of my favorite reminders comes from my friend Kate’s and my visit to Magdala in Israel in 2017—the hometown of Mary Magdalene. Excavations there revealed gathering spaces near the Sea of Galilee. Beside the excavation, there has been built a beautiful building with art with an atrium of eight pillars.
Seven pillars are carved with the names of women in the Gospels who followed and supported Jesus—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, Mary and Martha, Salome, and others. The eighth pillar is blank meant to honor all the women—including us—whose faith leads them to follow Jesus.

Many of these women stayed near Jesus even when all seemed lost. In Mark 16, they spent the Sabbath in sorrow, but on the third day they did what women do—they kept going. They went together to buy spices to honor Jesus. I wrote Steel Magnolias in my Bible right there! They showed up for Jesus—and for each other.

So—back to our friendships.

If our minds naturally sync with the people around us, then it makes sense to choose companions who help us grow toward Christ. When we walk closely with friends who love Jesus, we’re encouraged to love Him more deeply, too. But if we link ourselves with voices pulling us away from godly values and confusing cultural causes, we will drift without realizing it.

So let’s ask:

• Who am I walking with?
• Do my closest friends share my values?
• Do they encourage me toward Jesus?
• Do they help me live into God’s goodness?

God designed our minds and hearts to reflect the people we journey with. Psychologists call it mind-melding. Scripture calls it discipleship and fellowship.

And here’s the good news: Walking with Christ-centered, wise friends actually makes life lighter.
Their faithfulness helps lift us up, strengthens us, and eases our decision fatigue.

Healthy friendships help us grow in health and holiness. That is God’s good design—and it is a beautiful gift.

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices (they went shopping together!) so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.” Mark 16:1

As an LSU Political Science alum, I’ve always been fascinated by how government works. Lately, my reading about the Secret Service has introduced me to a fabulous group of people known as the Advance Team — the ones who handle the behind-the-scenes logistics for a protectee’s trips and events.

These folks make sure every detail is covered — from travel routes and venue prep to press coordination and security. They arrive before anyone else, work quietly behind the scenes, and ensure that everything goes smoothly and safely. They protect not only the person they serve, but also the purpose and reputation of the office they represent.

The more I learned about the Advance Team, the more I realized: that’s what we do in ministry with children and families! We are the Advance Team for the Kingdom — setting the stage for the Lord’s people to do good work through and in the life of the local church and the community.

Here’s what that looks like:

1. Coordinate People and Relationships

Advance Team members connect with every point of contact, gather details, and make sure everyone knows their part. In ministry, we do the same! We connect with people, discover their gifts and skills, communicate clearly, and build relationships that make ministry flow smoothly.

2. Conduct Site Visits

Advance agents walk through venues, mapping entrances, exits, restrooms, and layouts to anticipate needs. In ministry, we visit classrooms, fellowship halls, and event spaces to ensure smooth beginnings, meaningful moments, and memorable endings. Preparation shows love!

3. Assess Team and Volunteer Needs

Sometimes an event only needs two people; other times it takes a full crew. Ministry is the same way — we prayerfully plan the right people for the right roles so that the mission can move forward effectively and joyfully.

4. Identify Challenges and Pivots

Advance Teams look for potential problems and design solutions before they happen. In ministry, we anticipate obstacles, stay flexible, pivot purposefully, and trust the Spirit’s leading to adapt when plans shift.

5. Develop a Comprehensive Checklist

Advance Teams use detailed checklists to remember everything — little is left to chance. In ministry, a shared document or checklist from year to year keeps us organized and builds on what God has already done. It’s how we grow from good to great!

Do you see yourself in any of these roles? I sure do!

So how will you prepare for the next ministry event or opportunity? Let’s serve like an Advance Team — prayerful, prepared, and passionate to make room for God’s glory!

“Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.” Psalm 85:13