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People regularly ask me what's been the best/ hardest/ most rewarding/ most surprising part about starting our church. And for every question the answer is the same: parish groups. Parish Group: n. a gathering of people living near one another who care for one another, and work together to care for others around them Before we started Midtown Church, I had this dream...

This summer we've been talking about our church's vision and mission. We say it every week in service: We will be a spiritual community of hope and transformation that lives the way of Jesus. This desire and identity permeates our activities and directs our decisions. It's why we are focused on being Good and Useful Neighbors, why we want to Create Connection and Community...

On Sunday, July 10, our congregation prayed this corporate confession together. In confessing our sin, both individual and corporate, may we find freedom and forgiveness. In receiving God's grace, may we find the joy and hope of transformation. And as we are made more like Christ, may we join the work of Christ, so that our world may be healed. Gracious God, we your Churc...

I've been on vacation this week. It's the first vacation I've had since we started the new church. While on vacation, I try to unplug; see how far I can get off the grid. It's important for me to put my burdens down for a bit and rest. I've struggled putting them down this time. I love my church. I love my city. I think that's why I'm burdened. Since I've been gone, a l...

This is Part 4 of our Vision Series. To catch up, click here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3. There they were, 120 of them. They were in hiding. Tucked in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, praying. But that day the prayer meeting was interrupted by a sound they had never heard before; a sound so great it rattled the windows and shook the doors. And something amazing happen...

We've been asking and praying this question: what does it look like to be a spiritual community of hope and transformation that lives the way of Jesus? (Need to catch up? Click here and here.) It's pretty clear to us that living the way of Jesus includes being good and useful neighbors. And we have many neighbors and most of them we don't know yet. But we believe firmly ...

Ordinary Time is the "season of simply trying to survive." Usually, we think of it in regards to the duties of everyday life (kids to feed, chores to do, bills to pay), but in light of the events over the last couple of days, it has taken on a more serious and literal meaning. In Ordinary Time, we remember that this is the ordinary way of the world: Bullies have their way...

The ascension of Jesus means that Jesus has taken up authority and is now Lord over Space, Matter, and Time. (Didn't get to read the last blog? No problem. Click here to catch up). As a church, we want to purchase and restore an old church building in the heart of Midtown OKC. Now you might be saying, "What does the ascension of Jesus have to do with purchasing and restor...

In Acts, Luke gives insight into the days after Jesus' resurrection. For forty days he instructs the apostles after revealing that he was actually alive. He talks about the Kingdom of God constantly and he says something amazing is going to happen. Jesus says that in just a few days they were going to receive power. Great power. Unleashed power. Power that doesn't come fr...

We've been worshipping in Midtown for six months now but haven't started any ministries. No programs. No initiatives. No campaigns. Why? We've done this on purpose. We wanted to approach our new context and our new project as missionaries. We took on the activities of prayer, listening, and telling really good stories so that we could know ourselves, know our context, an...