Posts with the category “m-note”

In February, we did a series on the power of serving. Let’s be real, most of us like the idea of serving, but making the time to actually do it is a lot harder! We easily get consumed with our own schedules, tasks and to-do lists. Our lives are plenty busy, so often service is forgotten. Yet, when we serve, several important things happen. We contribute to something bigger than ourselves, we posit...  Read More

A few weeks ago I was talking to a woman who had started coming to The Gathering in the past year. She was sharing with me the way that our church has helped her to believe in God after a long stretch of being unsure of her faith or the purpose of church. I told her how much it meant to me that she shared her experience. We started The Gathering to help people who weren’t finding church relevant o...  Read More

I traveled to Dallas this past week to be with two different groups of United Methodist pastors for learning and collaboration. It was so good to be listening and learning from others, but as I was gathered with these pastors, I couldn’t help but see the news each day of the growing war and unrest happening in Iran and throughout the surrounding region. My heart is heavy with it all. Each morning ...  Read More

In a little over a month, we will have a service on Good Friday, the day that the church remembers the death of Jesus on the cross. If you read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John you’ll find that about a third of the entire story is devoted to Jesus’ suffering and death. Paul writes that the world has its own wisdom but, “we preach Christ crucified.” (1 Corinthians 1.23). Much of the New...  Read More

I just returned last weekend from Egypt, where I led a group of 54 people from The Gathering and a few other United Methodist Churches. We retraced the footsteps of Moses and the Exodus story. It was an incredible journey, and you will hear more about what I saw and learned in an upcoming series. But along the way, I had a lot of time to talk with people on the trip. I spent time hearing what was ...  Read More

When my kids were young, like most siblings, there would be conflict. Over the course of a day, they would get into some kind of argument. They would come to me or Jess to plead their case. We would often let them work it out, but occasionally we would intervene and make a judgment. Inevitably one of them would not like our decision and we would hear those familiar words, “but it not fair…” I ofte...  Read More

With the expected snow and bitter cold temperatures in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, The Gathering is shifting all of our worship services online this weekend. We will not have in-person worship at any of our sites tomorrow. Instead, I hope you will make plans now to worship with me online this Sunday. You can worship with The Gathering online by subscribing to our YouTube Channel or goin...  Read More

We are only a few weeks into the new year but there is much to celebrate. Last weekend, we celebrated the launch of The Gathering Metro East Site! It was an incredible day of worship and celebration with over 150 people. If you live in the metro east, I hope you will check it out and invite those you know that may be looking for something new this year. Worship is now weekly at 10am, at Dogwood So...  Read More

There are three big reasons that you will want to be in worship this weekend!1. We’ll celebrate Christmas Eve. Thanks to all of you that attended Christmas Eve in person or watched online. We had an incredible evening together — with moving music, warm candlelight, and the chance to reflect on coming home to Jesus. This weekend in worship, we’ll celebrate a few highlights from that night and annou...  Read More

I just completed my 20th Christmas as pastor of The Gathering. I want to thank all of you that made The Gathering part of your Christmas celebration. Christmas Eve services were incredible, and I loved seeing all the pictures on social media. I will fully celebrate Christmas Eve when I launch our new series on January 11. But today, don’t forget:Share the Christmas Eve message with someone who mig...  Read More

It is my favorite week of the year! I hope you are making plans to join me for worship at The Gathering. Over the course of a year, it is easy to drift from faith. Christmas is a time when God invites us back to what is most important in life. I will be sharing a hopeful message about the way Jesus can recenter us on what life is really about. It is a message that many of us need to hear (includin...  Read More

I love Christmas at The Gathering. There are obvious reasons: I love the music, the lights, the hot chocolate bar, the hope we can find in Jesus even if life is hard. I don’t just love Christmas, but I need its message every year. The story stays the same, but I am different. And each year the story impacts me in a new way that I didn’t know I needed. But, here is what I love most about Christmas—...  Read More

The Gathering has a tradition of giving away 100% of our Christmas Eve offering to give a gift that celebrates Christ’s birth and changes lives. For 15 years, we have partnered with the United Methodist Church in Mozambique to dig wells in villages all over the country. This work has provided clean water to over half a million people. Once access to safe water is stabilized in a place, it naturall...  Read More

If you were having trouble believing that Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is here, then waking up this morning might have reminded you! Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent, the season in the church that prepares us for, and leads us to, Christmas. Sometimes people will ask me how I really feel about Christmas. After all, it is a busy season with high expectations for the church! B...  Read More

This weekend is going to be a huge day of celebration at The Gathering. There are at least 5 compelling reasons to be in worship on Sunday! 1.  Provide food for those who need it. Our food drive culminates this weekend to help the STL Area Foodbank ahead of Thanksgiving. Bring all your food this Sunday and we will load it straight onto a truck to be delivered on Monday. Check here for a list of th...  Read More

My oldest son Caleb now lives in New York City, and this past week, I got to visit him for a few days. I met some of his new friends, took him shopping, went to a play, walked through Central Park, and took him out to a few good restaurants. The trip was last minute. I hadn’t been to visit him since he moved there and though life is busy here, I knew that if I didn’t do it now, it could be spring ...  Read More

I want to thank everyone who participated in Much Given. Much Expected. by turning in a commitment card last Sunday. It was a powerful moment for me as I watched so many of you come forward to offer your commitment and pray for the future ministry of our church. I am deeply grateful. If you missed it, please fill out a card online or turn in a physical card Sunday in worship by dropping it in the ...  Read More

Last week, I celebrated some of the exciting new ministries that are taking off at The Gathering. This week, I want to share 4 opportunities for you to get involved and grow in your faith this season: 1. A new round of wellness groups is beginning next week. I want to highlight one that is important to me. One of the new groups is Peace with Finances. This group is focused on how to take control o...  Read More

It is easy for me to get so busy with what I have coming up, that I don’t spend time celebrating what is happening around me. This past week is one worth celebrating here at The Gathering. Last Sunday afternoon, The Gathering West County had its first preview worship service ever. The anticipation for something brand new is high, and when I arrived, it was amazing to see so many people helping to ...  Read More

Look! I’m doing a new thing;     now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? -Isaiah 43.19 God’s nature is newness -- in our lives and in the church. And right now a lot of new things are happening at The Gathering, and I have three ways for you to be a part of it all. Sunday afternoon (Oct 19), The Gathering’s West County site will have its first preview worship service at 4pm at The Reverie in Ch...  Read More

Addiction touches nearly every one of us. For some, it’s a personal battle—alcohol, drugs, gambling, or something else that quietly takes hold of our lives. For others, it’s the pain of watching a spouse, child, parent, or friend struggle. Addiction can affect nearly all aspects of our lives - our work, our relationships, our finances, our emotional and physical health. It often leads to isolation...  Read More

There is an Old Testament Proverb that says: Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29.18) The idea is simple, when people do not know where they are going, what they’re aiming for, what their values are, or the goals they are trying to reach – then confusion follows. People without a sense of vision do not become who God wants them to become. This is true in all areas of our life. ...  Read More

This past week, a video circulated showing the Secretary of Defense of the United States praying the Lord’s Prayer over a polished montage of military weapons and soldiers. It culminated with the closing words of the prayer over a U.S. flag. As I watched it, I thought to myself, “I wonder if this is what Jesus envisioned when he taught his followers this prayer 2000 years ago?” Of course, this isn...  Read More

For many years in my 20s, I played basketball two nights a week. I loved the competition, the exercise, and the friendships. But, when my second child Carly was born and my work schedule grew heavier, those two nights away from home started to take a toll on my wife Jessica and our family rhythm. I could have clung to the old routine (and created conflict in my family), but I sensed something diff...  Read More

It has been a hard week. Sunday, I am going to share some words about the events of this last week before my message, and I encourage you all to worship with us in person. But, there is also much to celebrate and anticipate right now at The Gathering. Sunday, September 14th, The Gathering Metro East will have its first preview worship service. This is an important time to cast vision for the new s...  Read More

Churches talk about prayer a lot. But many of us are embarrassed to admit that we really don’t know how to pray? It's challenging to find time, we struggle to stay focused, and we don’t always know what to say. If you have felt that way, you aren’t alone. Prayer is something we have to learn.Jesus knew this. During his sermon on the mount, he taught his disciples how to pray and even gave them a p...  Read More

People try a church because someone invites them. People come back because they like worship. People stay because of relationships. And relationships happen when we get into a group. Most of us know this. It is easy to come to worship and leave without really meeting other people. That is one of the reasons why we urge people to join a CoreGroup. Groups are where we make friends. Groups are where ...  Read More

Part of The Gathering’s commitment is to influence the larger United Methodist Church. I am so grateful that I get to serve the greater church through teaching, preaching, and writing. I especially love working with, and helping to develop, younger pastors. Two days ago, I left for England where along with Pastor Adam Hamilton from Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, I get to help lead a gr...  Read More

I grew up in a small United Methodist Church in Washington, MO. As was the tradition in a lot of churches, when I was in 4th grade my friends and I were called up to the front of the church and given our very own adult Bible. Inside we were asked to write our name as the pastor told us about all the benefits of reading it. I went home that day, stuck the book on a shelf, and didn’t think much abou...  Read More

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “Why don’t they get it?”—whether “they” are your parents, your kids, your coworkers, or the people sitting across the aisle at church?You're not alone.More and more, it feels like the generations are speaking different languages. One group laments that, "nobody goes to church anymore," while another wonders if the church even cares about the questions they’r...  Read More

Gathering,In June, The Gathering celebrated in worship four non-profit mission organizations that we support. In a culture that is increasingly self-focused and self-centered, Jesus’ call for his followers to serve and give is radical and significant. At The Gathering, we want to be that kind of community in a visible way. Every week last month, we highlighted the work of a St. Louis non-profit or...  Read More

Since the tornado of May 16, many of you have volunteered and donated to help people affected by the storms. I also know that many more of you want to continue to help, especially as the initial round of volunteerism wanes. At The Gathering, we want to invest in serving our city, not just in the weeks after something happens, but in a sustained and committed way. Tonight, you have a simple chance ...  Read More

Hi Gathering Family,June is Pride Month— a time to honor the struggle for equality in the LGBTQ+ community. It can be a time of celebration for some and pain for others. For us as a church, it’s a meaningful opportunity to say something clearly and publicly: you are welcome here.One of the things I love most about Jesus is how consistently he made space for people who had been pushed to the margin...  Read More

The idea of a pilgrimage isn’t talked about much in our faith. But, people have been going on these sacred journeys for thousands of years and for some pretty profound reasons. At its core, a pilgrimage is just a focused trip with a spiritual purpose.Folks throughout history have traveled to special places: to feel closer to God, to give thanks, to ask for healing, or seek answers. I know it can f...  Read More

I often remind our church that before I decided to become a pastor, I was just a normal person who went to church. I was lucky. The church in which I was raised supported kids, invested in students, and created an environment that helped people connect with God. I was one of those people. Over time, I began to feel a nudge, a sense that perhaps God was calling me to more. I met with a pastor, bega...  Read More

Many in our community are still cleaning up from last week’s storm. Today, I talked with families in our own church who are still without power. People lost homes, cars, roofs, trees, windows, and tragically, five people lost their lives. As a church that believes that to love God, we also must love our neighbors in need, I want to encourage you to find a way to help. This week, I was so proud to ...  Read More

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven” – (Eccl. 3.1)This past week, I asked our church staff to reflect on a simple but important question: What season of ministry are you in right now? The responses were thoughtful and honest—some described a season of growth, others a time of waiting, pruning, or even rebuilding. It was a meaningful conversation, and I ...  Read More

Last weekend, Bishop Jaoa Sambo (the new United Methodist bishop in Mozambique) worshiped with us here at The Gathering along with his wife Delia. It is a huge honor anytime we have friends from Mozambique visit, especially the newly elected bishop. At McCausland, the bishop shared words of gratitude for our long-standing partnership and talked about the importance of the work that we are doing in...  Read More

The Exodus is the central story of the Old Testament. It is the story of God using Moses to lead the chosen people out of slavery in Egypt, through the uncertainty of the wilderness, and into a new land of freedom and possibility. Over the centuries, it has shaped the faith and offered hope to billions of people and was central to Jesus’ own story. A few years ago, I wrote a book called Let Go: Le...  Read More

Easter at The Factory was nothing short of amazing! From the music, to the message, to the energy in the room — it was an incredible day of worship and a celebration of hope. I want to thank every person who served, showed up, and helped create such a welcoming and joyful space. This weekend, we will celebrate some of the cool things that happened on Easter Sunday.And to those who checked out our ...  Read More