Presence Matters

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Humbled to say the least at receiving the 2013 Community Leadership Award from the 971070_10200334207210350_1518716996_nSumner School District (SSD) at the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) today in Fife. Some more than kind words were said by Superintendant, Craig Spencer, and Principal of Liberty Ridge Elementary (LRE), Laurie Dent, reflecting on Open Life‘s impact through Big Give, Love Week, and our ongoing generosity towards the vision and needs at LRE and within the community as a whole.  More is noted by the local online news source Patch.

The Director of the SSD STARR project and the Communities For Families Coalition, Marilee Hill-Anderson shared some grateful words for my investment in all that has been done for families within our the SSD as well as the potential impact Open Life can continue to have as we pursue future projects together within the community. (She gets the photo credit)

All that to say this; I feel like we are just getting started…by living out the values of being generous and present with our community for the past three years Continue reading →

The Impossible

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Seems like every week I hear an impossible story of someone finding their way to God.  Last night I snagged a Red Box movie to watch with Dana and it was an emotional one for sure.  The Impossible is a true story, I cannot fathom the depth of loss and pain those suffered who were a part of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, but this movie grasps some of that pain.

I could not help but ponder while trying to go to sleep knowing that the unexpected is just seconds from any of our lives.   Continue reading →

Belief before Behavior

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Many people avoid the church because they know a Christian! If that stings…keep church helpreading.

I often offer to do coffee with those who have yet to experience faith in Jesus due to Christian’s impact within their life. There is something beautiful about the tension they experienced and the redemptive potential of their life.

More often than not the issue that chased them away from the church is they were prescribed behavioral changes before they experienced belief changes.

Someone intending to keep the church holy Continue reading →

the experience

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Driving by the newly remodeled Applebee’s in Bonney Lake I pointed out the improvements to my 10 year old daughters.  ”Girls doesn’t that look amazing, how they remodeled that in just a few days.”

Their reply got me to thinking, “it looks nice, but I wonder if their service is still slow.” Continue reading →

Until there are stories

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I found myself saying this while teaching at a bootcamp for church planters called Starting Point this past week, “until there are stories, we won’t truly know if people are on the mission with us”.  Focussing our churches on leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus through whatever expression of that they see best fit for their context, city, etc; we really never know if it is working until we have stories.

  • Stories of life change
  • Stories of behavioral impact
  • Stories of influence
  • Stories of love in action

I feel blessed to have stories in my life, but have a greater passion every day to capture the stories of those we are leading.  In fact, I get greater pleasure out of hearing the stories of those active on the mission, than sharing those of my being active on the mission.

So…here it goes.  What are your stories?  Stories of connecting, serving and sharing your life and the gospel.

It’s all good

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Our flamingos are missing, but God’s promises never cease to amazing me.flamingos

On our pursuit to raise the funds necessary for the trip to Indonesia, we have begun many funding opportunities.   One that has proved to be fun for the whole family as well as those involved is our Flocking Fundraiser.  That is until they were taken. Continue reading →

The power of matching funds

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Recently we accepted an offer to go to Indonesia for a moth in the middle of August to pastor a church called ICA Surabaya.  We will be reaching out to this city, and traveling into some more remote spaces to start new churches, and even do a little medical missions as we just found out.

In just one week of going public with our trip many amazing and generous people have engaged the funding process to help us raise the needed money to buy our tickets and expenditures.

Today, three generous friends and business associates with Body By Vi, set up a matching fund challenge they call #gettheHuffstoIndonesia. Continue reading →

John 3:16 and 17

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I never share John 3:16 without sharing John 3:17. I think in our current cultural reality the one needs the other for the sake of clarity and health.


John 3:16–17 (NIV84) 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

As I prepare my talk for this Sunday on the necessity of serving one another and that the source of service is love, this passage jumped out to me.  As I grabbed it to paste Continue reading →

12 man time

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Click Here For Info. 
Open Life Changes Location for Sunday 01.13.13 – 10am 
Gathering will be redirected to Kevin & Christy Phillips house
3015 220th Avenue East Lake Tapps WA 98391

This Sunday Open Life goes 12th Man by encouraging you to be present with our community in one of two ways.

One, you come out to the fun 12th Man party we will be throwing at Kevin and Christy Phillips House Continue reading →