Have you ever gone outside and just laid in the grass and looked up at the clouds? This was one of my favorite things to do with my mom when I was growing up. We would go outside and just look at the cloud and tell each other what shapes or images we saw in the clouds. Very rarely did …

God is great and God is good, And we thank him for our food. By his hand must all be fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen. Our family sometimes prays these words before we eat. Except, this isn’t a prayer we speak—no, it’s a prayer we sing. To us, it’s a special prayer. It’s special because we sing …

When I was younger, I had a group of friends. Well, maybe like you, I had a bunch of different groups of friends. There were work friends who all went to different schools, so we hung out at work and after. Maybe we would catch a movie from time to time. Then there were my church friends – the other …

One of my favorite Christmas movies is “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”.  There is a scene where Kris Kringle is talking to the Winter Warlock about how to start on a new path in his life. The Warlock is concerned about how to begin or where this path may lead him in the future. Kris Kringle teaches him …

Ask anyone in my family, and they’ll tell you the same thing: Mike doesn’t like loud noises.  It’s true!  Ever since I was little, I preferred the quiet.  In fact, every fourth of July, I was the kid standing there, looking up at the beautiful firework displays in the sky, with my hands pressed tightly over my ears—it was too …

About 6 months ago, my wife and I travelled over six thousand miles to Israel with a study group. I am pretty sure I packed the day before we left. Not my wife though. Two months before we left, she had a list and started ordering the things she knew we would need. We bought special hats, cooling towels, sunscreen, …

Written by David VanOpstall –  I read somewhere once that the top reason a new person visits a church isn’t for the preaching, it isn’t for the music, and it’s not even necessarily for spiritual fulfillment. They are looking for friends. Really. That’s the top reason people listed in a study for why they first visited a church. Another way …

Written by Dann Stouten –  When people are looking for a church one of the things they want to know is, “what is this church known for?” For decades the answer to that question at Christ Memorial Church (CMC) could be summed up in one word, excellence. Historically CMC has been known for its excellence in worship, youth ministry and …

Written by David VanOpstall – The Bible is a living book. What I mean by that is I don’t believe in the Bible as a static, black and white, do and don’t list of how to please God. I believe it is a book that is meant to be wrestled with, interacted with, and treasured as…well, almost a friend or …

Written by David VanOpstall – “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” 1 Chronicles 28:10 King David had a dream to build a house for God. But God had another idea. Even though David already had a magnificent palace, God told David that He would build …