Mattawan, Michigan has now been my home for going on 10 years. Prior to moving here I had very little knowledge about the community other than some demographic study and a few people that I knew who lived here. God developed a church planting team back in 2008 and we began to pray for this…
9 years ago today I preached my first sermon as a lead pastor. Preached is a funny word, because it was 16 adults in the basement of a home in Mattawan, MI. We brought folding chairs from our card table sets, Dave Bunt brought his acoustic guitar and he sat on the hearth of…
Yesterday saw students around the country walking out of classes to draw national attention to the events of one month ago in Florida. Many believe that the long term hope is that the government will fix it all for us. The implication sometimes sounds like, we can keep on living however we want and…
The worms cannot go back in the can! And they really shouldn’t. I don’t want to go back to a world even two years ago, where powerful men are abusing women under their authority without repurcussions. The courage and strength it has taken for the many women who make up the majority of the #metoo…
I am almost recovered from the jetlag. The trip to Indonesia was a grueling haze of airplanes, airports, waiting, and restless attempts to sleep in a smaller space than my body is made to occupy. The trip was worth it. I cannot speak to any eternal results. I do not know how heaven will be…
In just a few days, Linda, Leah, and I will be flying out for Indonesia commissioned with the task of bringing encouragement to our missionaries. As the date of our travel is quickly arriving, I am thinking more and more about what it means to be an encouragement. And in my reflections, I have grown…
In the past year I read or listened to 51 books. Listening to audio books while running has added a new dimension to my “reading” and I have found that listening to books while running has given me a chance to take in books (mostly novels) that I couldn’t quite justify reading with the long…
5 Reasons I am Glad I Married Linda Filcek 22 Years Ago
December 21, 2017
22 years ago this Saturday, I said, “I do” and so did she! That was the forging of a dynamic-duo. We didn’t know then what we know now, but if we knew then what we now know, I would’ve entered marriage with even more joy than I did on that day so many years ago!…
Written in December 2017 How many times have you heard someone say, “I hate snow!”? I find it funny. And you live in West Michigan!? Good call on the life choices. There is a big world out there and a good chunk of it doesn’t get snow fall like West Michigan. I mean, there was…
I moved to Mattawan in March of 2009 with a focus on planting a church in this community. My wife and I were joined by a handful of couples who had a passion and desire to see the Kingdom of Jesus Christ growing, and we were sold on the idea of church—planting as a vital…
As a church-planter/Pastor I have had a front row seat to see God move in and through the lives of a church over the course of time. And it seems like there are transitional times that move me to reflect more on our history and the great things that God has done. Receiving our new…
As a pastor I have worked to try to find a rhythm of ministry that organizes my areas of responsibility around the days of the week. Study is focused on Mondays and Tuesdays. Drafting my sermons is on Wednesdays. I have meetings with staff and elders as well as counseling appointments sprinkled throughout. There are…
