Below is Pastor Don’s blog, where Pastor Don shares his thoughts on Scripture, current events, and more. Make sure to check back here frequently to read more about topics we may even discuss when we meet!
I have developed a pattern to my mornings that have helped me to be more focused and intentional. I have not always been a morning person, but having been challenged to get up and read the Bible and pray at a men’s retreat quite a few years back, set me on a pathway of more…
There is a type of person that many Christians don’t want to believe exists. It may be that we have a strong sense of grace, a naive view of the world, or even a “think the best of people” attitude. But we need to wake up, because this type of person is only going to…
I have been listening in to the CT Audio podcast “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” with significant interest. Mars Hill was a church that was started in Seattle in the late 90’s and “quickly” grew to 15,000 over a couple of decades. It ended with the resignation of the lead pastor, Mark Driscoll,…
Last Sunday was our annual church picnic at the park. And the confluence of over a year of Covid and the reality that the church has grown in the past several months created a really exciting, joyful time. A couple of times during the afternoon, I stepped back and looked over the park and just…
ReCAST Church has grown and shifted and changed shape many times since we began in the Spring 12 years ago. When we had our first service with 14 adults and 21 children, there was no youth group in sight. We had two kids entering middle school that attended in those early days and I even…
I was not a summer camper as a kid. But I wish I was. I first heard about Camp Barakel when I was a student at Columbia Bible College in South Carolina. A friend and fellow Michigander invited me to come up and counsel there for the summer between my sophomore and junior year. Having…
I have been familiar with death my entire life. My formative years were spent watching my father battle and eventually succumb to cancer. He passed into the rest of it all three days after my 8th birthday. And so I have spent all of my days with a keen awareness of my own mortality. And…
Some can’t wait to ditch the masks, while others can’t imagine a future without them. Some were in line immediately to get a vaccine and post it quickly to the socials. Others are still weighing the risks to figure out what is best for them. Some are convinced that we have overreacted to this pandemic.…
God has blessed ReCAST Church with excellent staff over the years. David Schrock has been our youth director for a couple of years now. He has built up the programs for middle school (ReCAST 180) and high school (Gravity) to a place where we have a great volunteer base in both programs and a fun…
To my shame, I can let a day just happen. Some days are just overcast and glum. My ability to be overcast is just as fickle as the Michigan weather. But I preface that as being to my shame, because there are little graces in each and every day. I truly believe that the difference…
Sing is a frequent command in Scripture. And it is a command that hasn’t been particularly easy to assimilate into a year of pandemic with an airborne illness. To accommodate for the pandemic, our church has shortened the service, moved the singing to the end of the service, and removed a couple of songs to…
The judicial system of our nation is always in motion. But there are some days that it gets more attention than others. On any given day there are cases being tried, arrests being made, verdicts being issued, and sentences being handed down. But this past week we were all paying attention. And what did we…
