Pastor Josh Hilburn concluded the recent walkthrough of our calling and identity as Houston's Holistic Missional Christian Community, and why we believe community is vital to who we are. When we live with vulnerability and honesty, offering our committed presence, and opening our hearts and homes to diverse experiences and viewpoints, God will change us in surprising and remarkable ways. 

Pastor Chris continued our series, about "living lives of courageous faith" and our call and identity as Houston's Holistic Missional Christian Community. Chris taught on our unique Christian identity and reminded us that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is good news for everyone. In light of that good news we are called to live authentically and seek out those who often feel excluded.

Pastor Chris continued our series, about "living lives of courageous faith" and our call and identity as Houston's Holistic Missional Christian Community. Today, Chris spoke about the meaning of missional, and our charge to be the people Jesus sends into the world, never to pull away, but always to lean in; vulnerably engaging all of culture and creation with curiosity, presence, and love. 

In the third episode of our podcast for parents, Kelly talks with Ecclesians Danny and Tammy Flack, who have 3 adult daughters. They discuss growing up in a legalistic environment and how that affected their early parenting, moving to Puerto Rico, which had great influence on their parenting style, and provide insight into how each of their daughters required different types of parenting.

Pastor Chris continued our series, "The World Was Not Worthy Of Them" with the beginning of a reintroduction of our calling and identity as Houston's Holistic Missional Christian Community. He discussed the foundation of the early church, our unique witness to this great city, God's love for the whole of creation, and how we begin to offer the fullness of our lives in gratitude. 

In the second episode, Katie Rushing provides insight into how she reconnected with herself after becoming a mom, how she carves out intentional time with God, and prioritizes time for friends and her husband, Davis. Katie and Kelly also discuss battling perfectionist tendencies and how that can affect parenting.

Pastor Josh Hilburn continued our conversation about living lives of courageous faith, a people set apart. He invited us to consider our misconceptions about the meaning of "blessing", how we might begin to shift our view of sacrifice instead to investment, and grow into greater peace with the often slow and inefficient movement of transformation in our world and relationships. 

In this episode, Bob and Mel Sutton, who are such kind people and so honest about their marriage and parenting journey, talk about what life was like with a baby who cried for 7 months straight, what marriage looked like before kids and then after kids, navigating through fighting siblings and house rules, and Mel talks about her role as a sex therapist and some of the intimacy issues many couples face. 

Pastor Chris entered the scripture in Hebrews, introducing the central thought that will guide us into the fall. How are we, as followers of Christ, called to live lives of courageous, magnetic, truly sacrificial faith, and to be a people willing to meet potential hardship and suffering with joy and obedience for the sake of the kingdom. We also celebrated over twenty-five baptisms of community members. 

Pastor Chris Seay continued our series on the great hymns of faith by addressing one of our favorites: "Come Thou Fount." Chris invited us all to tune our hearts to the God's landscape of blessing, love, & mercy, and called us to remember and trust God's saving help in our own seasons of wandering.

Guest teachers David & Maxine Madison called us to consider the "signs and wonders" that we are called to as the living hands of Christ in the world; the everyday miracles that the Spirit performs through God's people. 

Our guest teacher, Pastor Jason Shepperd, walked through the feeding of the four-thousand in the Gospel of Mark, offering a message on the gathering together of our giftedness and resources, and how we might be more attuned with our call to respond without hesitation and with radical compassion when we see a place of need.

Our friend, Pastor Marcelo Robles, visited us from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and taught on our call to open our eyes; to see the brokenness and need around us as an invitation to ever greater presence and service as a people filled with the richness of Christ.

Guest teacher Nish Weiseth invited us to consider how we anchor our trust in the goodness of God, even as we experience times of great trial. Through rhythms of scripture, prayer, and community, we begin to grow in the ways that we're able to recognize his goodness all around us.

Pastor Chris Seay continues our series on the origins and relevance of classic hymns, addressing recent pains in our nation and world, and heartbreak in our own community. Facing the brokenness that surrounds us, our call is never to despair, but to live by sacrifice and generosity as those under the protection of Christ; both lion and lamb. 

This week, a young brother in our community was taken from us far too soon. Hudson Adams, 19,  was serving as a camp counselor when he contracted a rare amoeba that attacked his brain in sudden and aggressive fashion. We stand beside the Adams family in devastation over his loss, and were grateful for the opportunity to host an overwhelming outpouring of love in his memory and for those he has left behind. His joyful, humble, selfless spirit will be deeply missed by the countless lives he has touched.

Guest teacher Gideon Tsang continued his conversation from last weekend on resurrection as a pattern lived out in imitation and participation. Especially following a dark week; a week of loss, fear and anger, how are we called in Christ not simply to receive, but to participate in God's work of resurrection and renewal? 

Our guest teacher Gideon Tsang considered the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, and the imitation to which we've been called. As we surrender to God's image within us, we can begin to see and embrace our beauty, and live as mirrors to reflect the light of Christ into the world. 

Pastor Josh Hilburn made a call for us to reconsider the ways we attempt to be saviors and problem solvers, and instead, to simply embrace our role as servants of all. As we serve in humility, as we continue to show up in presence, reminding the hurting and marginalized that we won't abandon them, we're reminded of the God who tells us without fail; "I'm here."

Pastor Chris invites us to consider the whole of God's creation, singing out in praise; that in all that we eat and drink, and as we experience the wonders of the world and creatures he made, we would be ever reminded of his divine and majestic artistry and continually submit to him in awe and gratitude, caring well for the gifts with which he's entrusted us.