By Judson Taylor, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications I never imagined I’d find myself standing in a Thai prison, let alone sharing my personal testimony with a roomful of incarcerated men. But there I was, asking God to give me words that could offer even a flicker of hope. I came to share how […]
One Church, One Service, One Summer
By Pastor Ellis WhiteSenior Pastor There’s something about our one-service Sundays. The room is full. The singing is louder. There’s laughter in the lobby, kids darting between grown-ups, and people from different generations and worship preferences coming together. It’s electric—but not just because it’s crowded. It’s meaningful. It’s unifying. Over the past couple of years, […]
An Invitation to the Wounded Healers Among Us
By Katie NelsonDirector of Care Ministries “When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.”—Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer Each of us carries wounds—whether from living in a broken world, from the hurt caused by others, from our own choices, or from the […]
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When God Whispers “Go”
By Carie GordyCommunications Coordinator In July 2022, I got an email from our Outreach Director, Cara Taylor. She’d been in touch with Jacksonville Presbyterian Church (one of our sister churches in Oregon) about a one-day visitor event at their family camp: Camp Levi, a retreat for families affected by disability. Just 40 minutes south of […]
The Power of a Life Laid Down
by Pastor Ellis White, Senior Pastor This week, I stood at the foot of the National World War I Monument in Kansas City—a towering tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in one of the most devastating conflicts the world has ever seen. It’s a sobering place. As I looked out over […]
How the Spirit Connects Us All
By Cara Taylor, Director of Outreach At this time of year, I look back on all the ways God has moved in my LifeGroup, and I am so thankful. We have walked together through significant challenges of work, family, and health. We also celebrated many joys…especially our kids getting baptized and growing in their faith. […]
Faith Blooms Here
By Pastor Rachel White, Pastor of Alpha & LifeGroups I look up to my Mum (Mom for all you Americans!). She is creative, hard-working, cares deeply for her family, and has been a steady rock for our family. In my teen years she was a single Mum and it was in that time that I […]
One Invitation Can Change Everything
By Pastor Ellis WhiteSenior Pastor I was working on a project recently. Honestly, I could have finished it faster on my own. But I saw an opportunity to spend time with my son, so I invited him to help. We worked side by side. It took longer. I had to undo a few things he […]
The Empty Grave and Ordinary Days
By Julie Hawkins, Pastor of Ministry I woke up Monday morning a little frustrated that it felt like an ordinary day. How could we possibly go from the celebration and feasting of Easter Sunday to sitting in carpool lines and a regular workday? I appreciate that the week after Christmas is usually a quiet, slow […]
When It Feels Like the Story’s Over
By Ellis WhiteSenior Pastor Have you ever felt like a door just slammed shut in your face? Something you had planned for. Hoped for. Dreamed about. And then—bam—it all ends suddenly. Maybe it was a relationship that fell apart. A job that didn’t work out. A diagnosis that changed everything. A prayer that went unanswered. […]