Reaching Willoughby
September/October 2026
Reaching Willoughby (Church Planting)
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Reaching Willoughby (Church Planting)
A lot is unknown―to us―but not to the Head of the Church. Not to The Vine. So my job is to abide. To call it a “job” may be distasteful to some, but if we understand that we get to rest in the One who gave his life for us, to remain in the One who is preparing a place for us, to abide in the One who knows the number of hairs on our heads (mine have been getting easier to count), then the only effort of the job is in remembering. Remembering who produces the fruit. Remembering that apart from him we can do nothing.
The Elevate Youth Convention is not the answer to all of our students’ problems, but it is a remarkable opportunity for kids to see how deeply God knows them and loves them. They are showered in grace and truth in incredible ways over several days. I believe this convention is definitely worth the work that it takes. And, it isn’t just work, it is work with eternal purpose.
If you had asked me twenty years ago where God would lead my life, I doubt I would have said church planting. For more than two decades, I served as a firefighter and paramedic in Northeast Ohio. Those years gave me a front-row seat to people’s lives. I walked with families through crises, loss, uncertainty, and some of the most difficult moments they would ever face. Along the way, God began stirring something deeper in my heart.
Be careful what you pray for!” I’ve heard that cliche in Christian circles throughout the years, and most often, it’s shared in the context of God doing something surprising or outside of our comfort zones. The more I pray, the more I seem to experience a mix of two elements: 1. Events transpire that God is clearly ordaining. 2. It is typically different than I originally envisioned.
Artificial intelligence may become one of the most powerful tools humanity has ever developed. Like every powerful tool, it carries tremendous opportunities alongside profound dangers. Christians need neither panic nor naïveté. We need something far older than artificial intelligence.
Fear is everywhere. Whether it’s fear of heights, fear of judgment, fear of failure, or fear of death, fear runs rampant in our world today. It’s become the very air that we breathe; toxic fumes polluting the clean air of faith to such a degree that we don’t even realize it’s there. Like a fish that has been swimming for so long it can’t comprehend the concept of water (“What’s water?”) we ask, “Fear, what fear? What are you even talking about? I’m not scared!” But denial doesn’t make fear any less real.
Adjustment can be disruptive and hard. New opportunities can be exciting and challenging to assess. In the midst of it all, it is good to rest in the promise of Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” LBIM finds itself in a challenging season of adjustment in the face of unforeseen circumstances, and at the same time, an exciting season of exploring opportunities.
I love EYC; it pulls our youth out of routine. It gives our youth leaders a chance to invest in their kids in a special way, they get more intentional time to worship God, to hear His Word, and to do it with the bigger CLB church body.
Last month, a violent rain storm accompanied by high winds swept through the village of Doh-Dewela, Chad. Multiple houses were damaged in this village of subsistence farmers of the Fulbe people group. Chadian partners of Lutheran Brethren International Mission acted quickly, made a visit to assess damage, and reported the urgent needs.