Baby dedication. Parent dedication. Words matter. Even if the difference in wording only subtly changes the perspective it can signal a significant difference in intentions. At ReCAST we prefer to have a parent dedication service rather than baby or infant dedication services. When parents come to this service in two weeks, it is important to…
I was not made for rhythm. I can’t clap and sing at the same time. I have never played a musical instrument. For a very brief time in college I tried to teach myself guitar, but I quit when I realized that you need to have rhythm in order to strum. And apparently dancing requires…
I have this sneaking suspicion that I will not be the same person in two weeks. I do not know what I will be, but I will have experienced some unique experiences that I am praying will be formative in my life. On Monday, I will depart from Chicago O’Hare Airport and about 24 hours…
Christian Chicken is what we call it around our house. And it tastes better than all other chicken sandwiches. Maybe it is the prayer, maybe it is some secret process, maybe it is the nostalgia of my few years living in the south where it was readily available. But now a Chick-Fil-A has opened in…
It has been so exciting to see the process of a church building go up on our property in Mattawan. I have watched the process of the clearing of the land, I have watched the dump trucks bring in the gravel to level the base for the parking lot, I have watched them pour footers…
I have had people tell me what I am supposed to believe regarding immigration as a follower of Jesus Christ. I find that one of the most repugnant lines of religious abuse is found in the formula, “If you follow Jesus, then you will agree with (fill in the blank)!” I see no difference between…
January 2017 Dear ReCAST Church family, 2017 will definitely be an exciting year for ReCAST! We have broken ground on our new building and expect to be all moved in by this fall. However, that’s not what I want 2017 to be known for at ReCAST… I would love for this year to be the…
I do not assume that people will show up on any given Sunday for ReCAST Church. Despite the historical data that on every Sunday since April 19, 2009 people have gathered together as ReCAST Church, there is still a weekly surprise that someone came back. I say this without a shred of manipulative false humility,…
So many charities, so little resources! This time of the year I am often bombarded by many excellent charities who want to kindly remind me that they are doing good work. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to use the resources that God has given me to be a blessing beyond my immediate…
This blog is not written to make you feel guilty. It is more of a confession that I will let you all in on with the hopes that it moves us all along further down the road to gratitude. So let me state at the outset, that I can be a class A complainer. Within…
ReCAST is sending a team of ten people to Uganda over Spring Break in 2017. We will be there for two weeks and the majority of our work will be leading two conferences for pastor’s, two children’s bible schools, and other various training. I am super excited that God has brought together a cross generational…
I have seen an increasing trend in society over the past few years and since I am not a cultural scientist or a pollster, I would like to use this blog as a bit of research to see if you agree with this perceived trend. I believe that people are both hungry for relationships and…
