
New Books in the Library!
It's no secret that I love books. That is why I am excited to tell you that the library is getting a lot of new books....

Stocking-stuffer ideas for families
Reviews of several gift ideas for children and parents....

Fighting for Joy in the Desert
practical thoughts for dealing with a season of spiritual dryness...


Pastor Briefing: Semper Reformanda
With Reformation Sunday coming at the end of the month, I thought it timely to discuss a valuable principle from church history......


A Review from Sing! Conference 2019
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the Sing! Conference in Nashville, hosted by Getty Music....


Pray for Hong Kong
We should be praying for our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong right now......

Guard Your Heart
On Sunday, Rick Schatz shared at the end of his sermon various ways that will help us finish the Christian life well. Here is a recap of that list:...

Pastor Briefing: Joshua Harris’ Announcement
How do we respond to Joshua Harris's announcement that he is getting divorced from both his wife and Christian faith? ...

Haunted
Middle Eastern women interviewed on a recent podcast have left me humbled and inspired by their devotion and confidence in God's Word....

Inviting Children to Encounter Jesus
Family ministry summer intern, Kate Cupp, reflects on VBS....


A Word to Anyone Helping in Children’s Ministry (or the boring and inappropriate title)
God uses ordinary people in his redemptive story...

The Storm-Tossed Family
Last week I posted about some of the books I've been reading of late; now I want to dive into one in particular....

On My Reading Shelf
Here's a look at what I've recently read or am reading right now...

A Tragedy for Western Civilization
The burning of Notre Dame is a tragedy for all Western Civilization......

God & Post-it Notes
I have a student - let’s call him Karl - who’s a bit fidgety in choir class......
God's Immutability in Resurrection Glory
the message of Easter flows from the attributes of God...

A Biblical Love Poem
The Bible celebrates love between a husband and a wife, sometimes in the most shocking ways....

What the Elders are Reading
Do you want to know what the elders are reading right now?...

Book Review: resource to help parents (and others) lead children to clarity about gender identity
New book helps parents, mentors, pastors, youth ministers, children’s ministry volunteers, or simply friends "bring clarity to young minds in a world that is spinning in confusion" ...

Catch Up on Summer Books
Did you miss out on seeing what books we were recommending and selling this summer? Catch up now with a complete list of what we had at the book table....
Resolved: Not to make resolutions
Resolutions are easily forgotten in the shuffle of the new year. Instead of a list of resolutions, perhaps one word to guide my thoughts and intentions will keep me focused on how God wants to grow me this year....

Book Recommendations for Christmas Gifts
Here's some help for finding books to give away as Christmas gifts this year. ...
Responding to Texas
How do we respond to the events in Texas that happened on Sunday? ...

Worship at Joyful Noise
Have you ever wondered why we have a kids’ music program at ECC? Of all the things we could have offered for kids to do while their siblings are at youth group, why music? ...
Submission to Jesus: Where Real Change Takes Place
Discipleship is about change. Everyone wants to change......
Discipleship at our Church
At ECC, we are committed to at least 10 core values that guide us in our discipleship practice. ...
Summer Sunday Mornings, revisited
A few ideas for ways to use your Sunday mornings to feed on God's Word this summer, even without Sunday School!...
Keep ReadingA Model for Family Worship
Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of Family Worship. If you never have tried Family Worship or you are looking for a new model, let me suggest one example: Read, Sing, Pray. Keep in mind, this is not the only way to do Family Worship. So if you have a pattern that works for you, keep it! Our practice takes only 10-15 minutesmuch more and our family would probably spo...
Keep ReadingWhy are all those kids in the worship service?
We have chosen to include our children in our regular worship services at ECC rather than having a separate children's church. Why is that? And how can we, as grown-up members of the congregation, support our families as they seek to train their children in worship?...
Keep ReadingMen's Prayer Night
This might be the most important thing our men do...and perhaps the hardest thing: devoting an evening to prayer together. ...
Keep ReadingThe Forty Day Prayer Covenant Follow-up
Pastor BriefingMay 6, 2015 By now, most of you have completed your 40 Day Prayer commitments. I, personally, felt very good about the 40 Day Prayer Covenant preaching series. Based on your feedback, I believe there has been more prayer among our congregation than ever before. I hope that you have experienced personal renewal through it. I know I have! I would encourage y...
Keep ReadingThe 40 Day Prayer Covenant
"...the ten lines of the prayer covenant comprise the critical contours of our Christian discipleship. They summarize what it means to follow Jesus."...
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