Blog

New houses start with a strong foundation. New churches need strong foundations too. (A blast from the past and a reminder of God's answers to prayer!)...

Hello dear friends, I've been in touch with many of you through Facebook, but wanted to send out a quick note to say that our dear friends on the island of St. Croix are heavy on our hearts today. Even as I type, hurricane Maria is passing over this island that was recently spared the worst of hurricane Irma, and that has been heavily invested in relief efforts in neighbo...

Transitions are tough. Anyone who's ever moved, changed jobs, gotten married, or done anything else that alters your life knows this to be a fact. Transitions are tough. I've experienced many transitions throughout my life. Coming back after living at Tenwek for two years has been a pretty hard adjustment. Moving there had been tough also, but it was a different kind of ...

Where is God? The book of Esther never mentions his name. It's the only book of the Bible where that's true. Yet behind every event is God's providential hand. He is working out his plan with power and certainty. Where is God in your life? Where did he go when you face suffering, hardship and doubts? Is he still there? Does he still love me? Is he still interested in just...

Thanks to all who prayed with us following the recent dorm fire. We are grateful for the rapid and generous response of several partner churches in Grenoble who assisted us in purchasing gift certificates to a nearby shopping center (similar to a Walmart) for all the fire victims who attended our dinner last week Thursday. Many of the guests stayed to participate in our "E...

As you may know, Godspeed has been pleased to announce that Joel and Catherine Foos will be taking on leadership of the youth group this fall! But before we dive into that, let's back up a bit. How did Joel and Catherine become a part of Godspeed in the first place? The short answer is, they found it online. The longer answer starts in Virginia Beach. Joel and Catherine...

I originally wrote this as a Summer OFF team devotional, but it reallyapplies to anyundertaking. Whether it is something small and "insignificant" or something large and life-changing, the principle remains the same. It holds true for Summer OFF, for college prepping, and for disciple-making. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfec...

Summer OFF - now in its 8th year - has become familiar. And sometimes familiarity leads to disinterest. After all, news cycles are short. We lose interest even in important things quickly, and expect upgrades often. "Isn't it time for something new?" But its the faithful steadiness of Summer OFF that leads to fruitfulness. So many of you have been going back and back agai...

Sermon notes - Acts 8 In the middle of the movie Star Wars: Episode IV, Master Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi and two others infiltrate the Empire's Death Star battleship to rescue warrior Princess Leia, a leader in the Rebel Alliance. As they're fleeing to their escape ship, they see Obi Wan Kenobi fighting Darth Vader, the Enforcer of the Emperor. During the battle, Obi Wan says o...

PUSHED OUT AND PULLED FORWARD This past Sunday, during our prayer time, Steve Abbott helped us visualize one of the key reasons we need to move into a building soon. He had all of us stand around the edge of the room. From there we could see our chairs ...