When we are in a comfortable and familiar territory, it is easy to think that we are living radically. But the reality is that we can only measure the true level of our courage when we are in enemy territory facing hostile conditions. Sometimes we can be fooled into thinking that we are living […]
Austin Update – 10.2011
In the last 3 years, I have been to Austin many times. It is always a joy to come down to Texas to 80 degree weather when it is in the 40’s in Ann Arbor. But more than the weather, it is a privilege to come to Austin and spend some time with Pastor […]
My Recent Reflections 10.2011
Photo on fotothing.com “Stay Humble. Stay Hungry. Stay Honorable.” Recently, as I was driving home after one of the pre-retreat prayers gatherings, I felt like God dropped this phrase in my heart. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but it was something that pierced my heart and hit me in a profound way. […]
Epic College Retreat 2011
Photo from flickr.com It is hard to believe that HMCC in Ann Arbor has had a retreat every year in the last 15 years. After several years of growth, we started to have a retreat just for the college students. As I reflect back on the various retreats we have had […]
Abortion and the Holocaust
Photo from greaterthings.com Abortion has been a topic that many Christ-followers have remained silent on over the years. The cultural milieu has made it difficult for pro-life proponents to speak up in public against this atrocity. Also, I think one major contributing factor for the silence is that there are a […]
Reflecting Back on 15 Years
We had a wonderful time at the 15th Anniversary Celebration. It was beautiful to see how God has faithfully led us, as a church for the past 15 years. God was not only faithful, but He has been writing an incredible story of transformation. There have been so many people who came to Christ […]
Celebrating 15 Years of God’s Faithfulness
Photo by HMCC-AA Publication Team It is hard to believe that 15 years ago Christina and I moved from Chicago to Ann Arbor, Michigan to start a church on the University of Michigan campus. In 1996, we just got married and stepped out in faith to live out the dream of […]
Do I Need to Grow Up?
Photo from pixgood.com Clayton and Charie King wrote a book called, “12 Questions to Ask Before You Marry.” In this book they give a basic list of things (i.e. attitudes, behaviors, reactions, etc) to help determine the level of maturity when it comes to emotional, spiritual, social and financial health. They […]
Think Different
The world was never transformed by people who followed the crowd or went with the status quo. The world has been shaped (and will probably always be shaped) by people who think differently. For some reason, they listen to a different drum beat. This is the reason why the early church that we see […]
Asia Trip Update #2 – 10.2.11
It was an incredible time in Singapore. There were times of encouragement, equipping, empowerment, and exaltation. The baptism went well and the 1st Anniversary was a display of God’s Faithfulness. Humbled. Amazed. I am now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My two days here will be filled with meetings with alumni, prayer walking, listening, dreaming, […]
Asia Trip Update #1 – 9.29.11
It is always a joy to visit Singapore. Not only do I get to see first-hand what God is doing in HMCC-SGP, but I get to spend time with Jackson and Rachel. They have become very dear to me, as I have seen them grow up in our ministry every since they were freshmen […]
The Ripple Logo
Photo by HMCC-AA Publication Team Over the years, people have asked me about our church logo. The genesis of this logo goes back to 1990 when I was a student at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. It was my senior year and it was a difficult year. I felt completely […]
A Constant Heart Check
Photo on azzitraining.com It is always good to do a regular check up on our spiritual health. It is easy to go weeks, months and even years without a spiritual heart check. It is not until we go through a trial or even face some difficult situation where we are jolted […]
It’s All About the Team
Photo by nytimes.com Bo Schembechler coached the University of Michigan football for 21 seasons from 1969 to 1989. In Michigan, he had an impressive record of 194 wins, 48 losses and 5 ties. With his coaching tenure at Miami University (1963-1968), Schembechler’s total career record was a remarkable 234-65-8. Schembechler was […]