Open Mike

Gloom & Doom for The Church This Easter? Go Glocal (my article in local news)

[I was invited to write the Easter article for our local N Charlotte newspaper The Lake Norman Citizen. Here ya go - with added pictures]

IT’S EASTER!   And most churches are experiencing low in-person attendance due to lingering concerns and at-home habits from the pandemic.

IT’S EASTER!   And Millennial young adults are leaving the church at historic rates, compared to Xers (“we grunge rock!”) and Boomers (“we classic rock!”).

And yet – I’m thrilled.  Thrilled and amazed at the ongoing impact of Jesus’ resurrection.  And no, those of you who know me at Lake Forest Church, it’s not just because of my naturally excitable personality, although that’s always a thing when I consider Jesus.

Though Christians in Lake Norman may take momentary discouragement from our contemporary and local experience of what seems like a depression of the Christian faith -- the indisputable, factual, historical impact of the resurrection over 2,000 years tells a completely different story.  Let me ‘splain please.

Back to Easter.  On that first resurrection day, among the risen Jesus’ first eyewitness-recorded words to his disciples were these: “Go and tell…” (Matthew 28:10; also John 20:17, Mark 16:7, Matthew 28:19).  And boy, did they ever “Go and tell…”  

To the point that today the church of Jesus Christ is the largest, most multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural institution in the world, and in human history.  2.382 billion souls identify as Christian today, which is 31.11% of y’all breathing on planet earth right now, marking Christianity as the majority religion.  Jesus’ person, Jesus’ message, and Jesus’ work are – measurably – the most compelling spiritual sustenance in human history.  Have you ever thought of it that way? 

An interesting thing about the ‘state of the church’ today is that one of the primary turnoffs American millennials state to me directly about ‘the church’ is its lack of diversity.  When in fact, if we step back and view the church globally and historically, the opposite is true (though yes, we need to fix that here).

 In fact, most of the dynamism in Christian worship and mission in our century is found in the fast-growing churches of the Global South.  “By 2020 fully two-thirds of all Christians were in the Global South, with only one-third in the Global North. By 2050 we anticipate that 77 percent of all Christians will live in the Global South,” according to the Pew Research Center.  And did you know that more Arabic speakers have become followers of Jesus over the past 30 years, than in the past 1,000 years combined?

And let me tell you – I am a witness.  I’ve worshipped in Shanghai with hundreds at a church full of expats from around the world – the Spirit-filled worship team of African and Asian university students radiated the grace and truth of Christ. 

In Cairo I wept in the front row as I experienced the worship of Jesus in original Arabic language songs for the first time, in a congregation of thousands. 

In London, I was joyful during Spirit-filled rock and roll modern worship in an ancient stone cathedral, full of young adults of many ethnicities.

So, if what your heart longs for is to be part of a global spiritual movement that has vibrancy in almost every culture, and that acts for justice and mercy on every continent, I recommend ‘the society of Jesus,’ His church.  Find a local church that’s participating with the global church – a glocal church is the ideal.

There are many valuable insights and practices in the world religions that I have had the privilege to study and experience.  Yet when the message of Jesus has been offered down through the ages, more people have reported life change and spiritual peace through faith in this Jesus, than any other way.  What is His message?  God and I are one (the Incarnation), God is love (the ontology of the divine), God loves you (the disposition of God), God suffered for your suffering and sin (Atonement at the Cross), God conquered death and suffering (Victory at the Empty Tomb), God will and is making all things new (Second Coming).

I hope you’ll ‘go and hear’ about Jesus this Easter at a local church.  I pray also you’ll take up your role in the story and live a life of ‘Go and tell,’ while sending others to do the same globally. In the name and power of the resurrected Jesus.

-credit to Bob Roberts for the term 'glocal' church

Fun Facts About St. Patrick and Guinness Beer on March 17

Here on St. Patrick's Day, a few fun facts in honor of my great historical mentor (and subject of my doctoral thesis titled "The Transformational Missiological Leadership of St. Patrick").

St. Patrick:  YES there was BEER involved in his mission in the 400's, to tell the Celts the good news of God's love through Jesus Christ.  He does not mention beer in the two short works he left to history, "The Confession" and "Letter to Coroticus," which can be read in one sitting here  https://www.confessio.ie/#

BUT beer is mentioned as part of the mission when it is first described in writing by someone else, a number of years later.  Patrick took with him to Ireland many priests, deacons, bakers, etc as part of a large team. Included in the list is a personal beer brewer for Patrick.  It would have been not just for merriment, but also for something clean to drink in swampy areas with no potable water they might encounter.

[picture of the oldest church in Ireland, traceable to the time of St Patrick: Saul Church]

Guinness Beer: Was not in existence in Patrick's day. But it is an outstanding example of Christian Irish business people, inheriting the faith of St. Patrick, living 'on mission for Christ' through good, profitable work and blessing others purposefully, starting in the 1700's.   I learned this from the book "The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World."

I recommend this as a quick, enjoyable, spiritually encouraging read.  From the book jacket:

"It began in Ireland in the mid 1700s. The water in Ireland, indeed throughout Europe, was famously undrinkable, and the gin and whiskey that took its place devastated civil society. It was a disease ridden, starvation-plagued, alcoholic age, and Christians like Arthur Guinness—as well as monks and even evangelical churches—brewed beer that provided a healthier alternative to the poisonous waters and liquors of the times. This is where the Guinness tale began. Now, 250 years and over 150 countries later, Guinness is a global brand, one of the most consumed beverages in the world. The tale that unfolds during those two and a half centuries has power to thrill audiences today: the generational drama, business adventure, industrial and social reforms, deep-felt faith, and the noble beer itself.

For readers who love history, cultural studies, religious debate, and stories of business success. 

What readers will learn with this book...

• The earthy, human, and holy importance of honing a craft over time
• Example of a family seeking to do good in the world as an offering to God
• How unexpected and small things impact the history of humanity
• Inspirational fuel for entrepreneurial dreams"

So tonight, Angie and I will toast St. Patrick with a Guinness. And I will recount again how the study of his spiritual and entrepreneurial leadership has so influenced me and my work.  So, in the words of the common Irish toast - Slainte!  It literally means 'health,' with the feeling of when we say 'cheers!'

 

A Happy Return From Sabbatical: C U August 5th @ LFCH

Hello friends! I'm in the last week of a 3 month sabbatical, more aware than ever of what a blessed boy I am. I want to check in, say hi, let my friends know what I've been doing, and tell you how ready I am to return to the church and work that I love. I miss you!

This sabbatical marked three major life benchmarks - the 20th anniversary of founding Lake Forest Church, our 30th wedding anniversary, and our youngest son's graduation from college, which is what kicked off our time away.

 

We scheduled our annual beach week right after graduation, and enjoyed a house full of family and many of Austin's bros from UNC at Emerald Isle NC.

The hobby and interest Angie and I have most enjoyed together over the years is travel, which defined this sabbatical. A generous childhood friend of Angie's (and her husband) gave us the entire month of June to live in their 'villa' in the northern hills of Provence, France. I know, amazing!  And yes I know, you're trying not to hate me right now (smiley face)! The house is made of traditional Provencal stone, and is surrounded by a vineyard, olive trees, and blooming lavender stalks.

We will be forever grateful for this gift.  It was a place of solitude, reading, talking, walking, swimming, writing, and a base from which to explore the cultural charms and natural beauty of the south of France. There were castles everywhere, including in the village of Le Barroux only 2 miles from the house.

 The food - excuse me, I mean 'cuisine' - in Provence is every bit as creative and delicious as you may have heard. We were thankful to happen into the tastiest meal of our lives on our 30th anniversary, gifted to us by some dear friends.  The grace of God given to me through life together with Angie is too precious for description. A marriage can never be taken for granted and must constantly receive cultivation, so we purposefully shared daily devotions in scripture and my Celtic Daily Prayer book.

After our time of rejuvenation in France, we spent five days sightseeing in London.

While in London we enjoyed the worship experience I've dreamed of ever since I first visited a cathedral in Europe - what if you mashed together a beautiful ancient stone gothic cathedral with super modern worship music and aesthetics? The answer was our experience at Holy Trinity Brompton church.

HTB is a thriving multi-service, multi-site, church planting, community-serving congregation that worships Jesus passionately (they are known for originating the famous Alpha Course on basic Christianity in the 1980's).  I was inspired to see this Spirit-filled example of a fruitful Bible teaching church in what is a thoroughly post-Christian city and country.  I am now going-to-school on what I and Lake Forest can learn from them, as we continue our quest to be as faithful and winsome as possible, following the way of Jesus together, for the sake of others.  Two other notable places I enjoyed worship while on sabbatical: a Benedictine Abbey near our house in France (we were super encouraged to see the sanctuary full of young people and young families worshiping together, although we understood nothing but the Apostle's Creed and the Lord's Prayer); and Westminster Cathedral in London (where I was inspired by this blessing to all, inscribed in their cornerstone):

Angie returned home from London, while I embarked solo on a prayerful pilgrimage to two places sacred to me.  The first was the Isle of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland.  The second was the area near Belfast (N Ireland) where St Patrick began and ended his ministry in the 400's AD.  If you really want to know about both St Patrick's ministry in Ireland, and its connection to the Isle of Iona, ask me and I'll talk your ear off. 

But here, briefly, Iona was the central site of training for godliness and mission for the Irish Celtic missionary monks (a couple of generations after St Patrick) who exploded from this wind swept speck of rock in the ocean, and re lit the flame of the gospel (and classical learning) across Europe during what's known as the Dark Ages.  The book 'How the Irish Saved Civilization' tells the story for those interested in popular history.  'The Celtic Way of Evangelism' tells it through the lens of mission, a book I assign to every seminary class I teach.

Not until our generation has the West had so high a percentage of the population who does not know and experience the love of God through Jesus Christ, as it had in the days when St Columba founded Iona and began training and sending disciples of Jesus.  I view my ministry, that of Lake Forest weekly, our church planting network, our partnership with local and foreign missions, my time with seminary students and our denomination's church planting efforts - I view it all through the hopeful, prayerful, experimental lens of 'Lord, please use me, please use us, like those adventuresome Irish Christians ages ago, to winsomely light the flame of the good news of Jesus Christ in hearts that simply need to know how much they are loved by God."  That is the essential aim behind every ounce of my labor and leadership.  Thus, my pilgrimage was to talk with the Lord about such things, inviting Him to continue sharpening me in holiness and skillfulness for His purposes, while tramping around in the places frequented by my most inspiring historical mentors.

On Iona I stayed in the Catholic House of Prayer, enjoying morning prayer and breakfast with fellow pilgrims - two older Catholic women from Ireland, and a young Episcopal pastor from the National Cathedral in Washington DC.

I did a lot of prayerful hiking around the island.  And ended each evening with worship in the great cathedral.  I also continued my sabbatical-long habit in every church building I entered - I lit a candle while praying for the people of Lake Forest Church.  Sometimes I prayed for our shared mission, sometimes I prayed for those I knew had heavy hearts.  But I always prayed for you. Here's where I prayed for LFC on Iona:

Although my pictures  are like most on social media - depicting joyful times, the sabbatical has not been all joy.  I hurt for people back home who I knew were in pain or grief.  I also was drawn to spend time in self-examination and confession, wrestling with self and the Spirit over old and new sin patterns in my life.  It wasn't fun.

The final round of this hard work, of letting God's Word and Spirit root out sin to be replaced with goodness, occurred at the end of my longest, dustiest hike on Iona.  I prayed through the labyrinth at St Columba's bay (pictured below), engaged in naming the sin and hindrances to be 'put off' while praying inward on the path, and naming the godly characteristics and abundant life practices to 'put on' as I prayed back outward.  After exiting the labyrinth, I chunked a rock into the bay (as all pilgrims do there) representing what I am leaving behind, and pocketed a second rock for what I am newly 'putting on' toward a more abundant life in Christ.  When I just wrote that was the 'final round,' I meant only regarding the sabbatical. Leaning into the Holy Spirit, with the help of Christian community, to put off sin and put on righteousness is personal work that never ends on this earth, for those seeking to live as a disciple of Jesus and be a blessing to others.

I took some time to also experience the Highlands of Scotland, by mountain biking for a day in Glencoe.  With the Psalmist, I repeated 'surely the rocks cry out and the mountains clap their hands, GLORY in everything!'

You may or may not know that my doctoral thesis was on the Missional Leadership of St Patrick.  In Ireland, I spent time revisiting the St Patrick museum and study center and at the traditional burial site of St Patrick (pictured here):

I stayed at Denvir's - the oldest pub and public house in Ireland (supposedly).  The wait staff invited me to their private party for one of the World Cup soccer games - that was a rollicking fun experience, complete with the town musician and storyteller leading us all in songs for an hour after the game.  And true to the Irish reputation for friendliness and hospitality, I didn't pay for any food or Guiness that evening.

I finished my pilgrimage with an evening of reading Patrick's writings, and prayerfully journalling in response, while in the first church he established - Saul Church.

I can't say that in these experiences I received any remarkable revelation or redirection from the Lord, which I'm now bringing back with me to trumpet to the world.  Mostly, I received the comfort and assurance of our faith in fresh ways, and a few surprising love-filled visits of the palpable presence of the Holy Spirit in my spirit. 

I also won't be returning with any specific 'incredible' new ideas or programs that will solve every problem in my life and take our church to some grand new heights. Mostly, I received strengthening and renewed desire for the paths we are already on - making more and better disciples together as a church, in particular nourishing new baby Christians and new baby churches from infancy into maturity, as we all seek to live joyfully and daily on God's mission of love to the world. My ambition is to be a humble, servant-oriented pastor leading by example, and with God's Word and God's Spirit as our hope and power.

Many of my best friends are books.  Here are some that have accompanied me these months:  The Contemplative Pastor (by Eugene Peterson - this describes who I want to be), Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (by Harari - i bought it for the updates on pre history, the author has many interesting theses though many I don't agree with), Life of St Columba (by Adomnan), Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us About Surviving and Thriving (by Guthrie and others - a must read for ministers), Colonies of Heaven: Celtic Models for Today's Church (by Bradley), Money After 40 (by the Motley Fool guys), Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc (by Cutter), The Other Woman (by Silva - latest in my favorite spy novel series), Ivanhoe and Rob Roy (by Sir Walter Scott - two classics, set in Scotland and England, that I hadn't read - fun reads), and A Year in Provence (by Mayle).

I am grateful to the elders of our church for our long standing sabbatical practice.   It is a rhythmic investment in the long term health of the ministers and of the congregation, with many proven benefits.  I wish every workplace had more kingdom-oriented values and practices such as this one, and I'm glad for me and our staff that the elders (and by proxy the congregation) value me and the rest of the staff so tangibly.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  I am so looking forward to my first day back in worship with the people of God called 'Lake Forest Church - Huntersville' on Sunday August 5th! One reason I wrote this entry is so that for those interested, its a full account of my time away, and for those not interested, now I won't need to over-share and bore them with all this on August 5th.

I close with this blessing posted in Saul Church (previous picture) for those who come through as 'travellers.'  It is what I hope guests and regulars alike experience in our new public spaces at LFCH, because we are in fact all travellers.

Praying for Wisdom in Chile

Angie and I had the joy and privilege of traveling to Chile for discernment this week with our friends and partners in ministry, John and Maritza Hernandez.  They are the founders and directors of Children's Impact Network (CIN), our church's longest constant mission partner.  CIN exists to rescue abandoned and abused children, offering long-lasting, life-changing assistance.  Primarily through 're-familying' children with love, counseling, medical care, education, vocational training, and discipling them into God's family. The people of Lake Forest Church partner primarily by helping to build orphanages and sponsoring children (family-to-child) in several countries. www.cinonline.org

This trip began with the annual CIN board meeting in Miami, then the four of us flew overnight to Santiago, Chile.  The purpose of this trip was to spend time seeking God's will and God's future for a new opportunity to rescue children that has been given to CIN, through the donation of a 75 acre property with buildings in the northern, mountainous area (almost all of Chile is either coast or mountain - the valleys in between hold vineyards).  Because of its track record, CIN has been offered to assume existing properties and ministries in other countries. This is the first time they've said 'yes,' sensing the Lord has something special ahead this time.  I appreciate how John and Maritza say more 'no's' than 'yes's' to ministry opportunities, one of the many spiritual leadership qualities I admire in them.

 

But we didn't start at the property, we started by spending time with the church partner John and Maritza have gotten to know over a few years.  La Puente, The Bridge Church, is a thriving, large outreach- and church-planting-oriented congregation in La Cerena, a university and beach city in northern Chile.  It's the closest city to the more remote mountainous property.  The pastor is Marcello, here with his wife Carolina in La Puente's worship center.  They have formed a fast friendship with CIN and believe God is calling them to partner in a new work to rescue children in need in Chile.  Fun facts: La Puente's men's ministry grills HUGE amounts of meat monthly (ruff ruff), and they have a residential seminary to train new pastors.

This brings up another aspect of the Hernandez' leadership I admire - when going to a new country, they find people whom the Lord is already working through, trustworthy and healthy churches, and build a partnership from the ground up together.  Here's how they state their strategy on their website: 

Each Life Center (Colombia, Honduras and Bolivia Life Centers) is operated in partnership with the local community in which it exists, specifically with a partner church. Children’s Impact Network cherishes these relationships. We believe in empowering the local community to address the needs of their children. We think it is important for the children to have role models from within their own cultural communities. We value and respect our differences and will never enter a community thinking we know how to best address their issues. Friends of Children’s Impact Network often express their gratitude for creating opportunities to help abandoned and abused children through long lasting relationships.

 You can see why we trust them not only personally, but also their ministry methodology.  Here's another two of the partners, Pastor Hector and Cathy, outside of a dorm on the land.  They are the happy parents of four, and they currently oversee the property, host church retreats and training events there, while planting a church in the next town up the mountain from CIN's new property. 

The land is a STEEP drive six thousand feet up from the coast.  Nearby is copper mining, world-famous observatories (the road CIN's land is on is called 'The Way of the Stars'), vineyards, and lots of goat-herders.  Thus we had yummy queso de cabra, or goat cheese, for lunch along with local honey.

Something else I admire about the Hernandez's leadership is patience...until the Spirit speaks clearly...then GO.  This property has belonged to CIN for almost three years now.  However, they've taken their time to build local relationships, ensure clear understanding of local economics attached to the land, assess need, and pray.  Its not unlike what Lake Forest Church went through over the past 18 months to clarity our next vision, or mountain to climb together.  Elders and staff prayed and planned for almost a year, congregational leaders prayed and discerned for 3-6 months, and the congregation then prayed and discerned for 3 months, before we moved ahead with clarity and unity.

Angie and I accompanied John and Maritza in order to be helpful, prayerful eyes, ears, and hearts as options for ministry using this property are becoming more clear, and decisions are pending. There is a need for the rescue of abandoned and/or abused children here for certain. We had a delightful time visiting these little ones - left with my hair messed up, fingerprints all over my glasses, and a full heart.

 

Several possible ways of leveraging this beautiful, serene property and buildings to rescue children in need have presented themselves. Interestingly, two opportunities involve local and regional government officials who've become aware of CIN's good work elsewhere. These officials have highlighted specific areas of need for orphans in Chile, asking CIN to consider meeting these desperate needs. Each option would be true to God's long term calling on CIN, but serving a slice of distressed children we have not fully focused on before.  It's not appropriate at this point to share the different options publicly. There will be a time for that, and it will be shared by the Hernandez's as they begin to see the road ahead more clearly.

But would you join me and pray, as you read this, for wisdom for John and Maritza? They are doing a good job of "knocking, seeking, asking" as Jesus tells us. And they are widely seeking the counsel of others, as Proverbs so eloquently leads us to do for success in any endeavor. And now we simply take God's at His Word and ask for wisdom for John and Maritza, their staff and their partners.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5

I'm grateful for their friendship.  And I'm grateful the LORD has used our partnership with CIN to help us suburban Christians at Lake Forest grasp that 'discipleship,' or being formed more into the image of Jesus, is not merely head learning.  Its also caring about the aching needs in our own community and in other parts of the world, and sacrificially serving as part of God's mission to restore people to Himself. In this way we become more like Christ.  I wear CIN's theme verse on my wrist often, as a way to 'check myself' that Lake Forest continues to be a legitimate mission-oriented tribe, and not just a self-dealing purveyor of religious goods and services for our members:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  James 1:27

As you pray for the Hernandez's and CIN, perhaps pray for wisdom for yourself to know what hurt or pain near you is God using/calling you to serve with the salve of the gospel?  And is this the year God is calling you to 'GO' on a cross-cultural short-term mission trip with Lake Forest, or with another church?

A Little More Like The Kingdom Today

The Book of Revelation records this beautiful tidbit of the vision St. John was granted of God's forever kingdom (the next period in cosmic history after this one):

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and the Lamb (aka Jesus)...They shall hunger no more neither thirst anymore... for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:9, 16, 17

Part of the Christian life is to live as an anticipatory foretaste of the coming Kingdom of God in full.  We do so by living according to the beliefs and behaviors of Jesus, which are the character and future of God put on full display in a human life. This calling isn't just for individual followers of Jesus, but for the church as well. 

Last weekend, I experienced a foretaste of the Kingdom as I witnessed our denomination becoming a bit more like God's kingdom 'from ALL tribes and peoples.'

As Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian denomination this year (EPC), I was honored to preach Sunday at the reception of the first Puerto Rican church to join our family of churches. My sermon was on Luke 15, the mission statement of Jesus, and my story about once visiting a chicken-less Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Iglesia Presbiteriana WestMinster EPC kept expanding my expectations all weekend. 

They are very high liturgical Presbyterian (I've never been asked to preach in my robe In a Spanish speaking church, nor for a 20 minute sermon)

 

and they are flippin' fun (after the service there was a big luncheon with live music - at the end a salsa band made up of elders and pastors played - the senior pastor Juan Rivera is lead guitar on right - and we all got up and danced to La Bamba and more).
Reportedly Sunday's service was the largest Spanish speaking Presbyterian church gathering in the Americas.  Angie and I travel a bit, and found Puerto Ricans in general to be the friendliest people we've yet encountered. This church is bursting with leadership - I met a senator, a judge, a state representative. head of a hospital, head of a school, doctors, the mayor, and more.

The caliber of leaders IN the church is attributable to the caliber of leaders OF the church. Iglesia Presbiteriana Westminster EPC has been growing in reach and depth for a few decades. First under the leadership of (now Emeritus) Pastor Juan Pérez (here he his welcoming me and Angie on Sunday).
 Today they thrive with Senior Pastor Juan Rivera and capable, joyful elders and deacons (they have male and female elders, here they are taking vows Sunday).  I just LIKE these pastors and hope we are friends for a long time.

They were led to leave their former denomination earlier this year over matters of biblical faithfulness (a denomination in which one of their ordained ministers wrote a blog post 'I Don't Believe in God' and is still a pastor of one of their churches, hmmm).  Their former denomination did not take well to their pending decision to leave, and seized the church's 12 year old sanctuary, mission-outreach buildings, and bank account (which is not legally possible in our denomination).

After their former denomination announced the seizure of their property should the congregation vote to leave, they voted to leave anyway, and sang a hymn while walking to a nearby parking lot to continue their vibrant worship.  Westminster now meets at The American School in the town of Bayamon. About ten people meet in their former building weekly for worship.

There were a few events leading up to Sunday.  They held a seminar on the Infallibility of Scripture Saturday morning, to emphasize that their new affiliation is mostly about being in a family of churches that joyfully submits to the authority of the Bible as God's infallible Word to humanity.  I adapted two Lake Forest sermons for that lecture. Saturday evening, myself and an EPC pastor and an EPC elder from Florida were interviewed on Christian radio about the EPC (sounds scintillating, I know; that's EPC Pastor Don Mason on left).

We highlighted the four identity words of the EPC:  EVANGELICAL (=gospel-focused around Jesus), REFORMED (=in theology), PRESBYTERIAN (=elder led in church government), and MISSIONAL (=outward not inward-focused, loving the world in the name of Jesus).

But what made me most happy is the original theme of today's blog post.  At Lake Forest, we seek to increasingly anticipate God's Kingdom by being in partnership with churches of different races and nationalities, even while the LORD has brought a bit more diversity to our own congregation. Our greatest move in this direction is to make our next church plant one that serves the growing Latino immigrant population in north Charlotte (I can't wait for this sister church to teach us to read the Bible through their eyes). 

A few lines of the introduction to my sermon this Sunday went something like this: "In two short days I have become one of your church's biggest fans... The EPC is delighted that our denomination looks more like the future Kingdom of God today, because a Puerto Rican church is now in our family.  Jesus said 'In my Father's mansion in heaven there are many rooms,' and I heard it on good authority that the most fun room will be the Puerto Rican one.  So I'm just hoping the rest of the EPC will now be invited to your room for the eternal fiestas."