Fast forward to 2011 and here I am, back in the Bay Area, a pastor now helping Gracepoint Ministries with various welcome events, training materials, and even a brand new discipleship curriculum for college students:  Thrive!  (the website is now being built so check it out here and there!)

I remember when Pastor Ed and Kelly Kang shared this exciting idea about Thrive with us at our church office a couple of months ago:  “Don’t just survive–Thrive in college!“  Based on 2 Timothy 2:22, this 6-week material is designed to help college students grow in their faith:  To flee, to pursue, to-gether!  2:22.  That’s too good!   (That’s for Gracepoint Davis Church folks who miss my puns!) 

Sorry I haven’t posted much on my blog since we moved.  It’s been quite busy settling in with all the exciting things that are happening here at Gracepoint Berkeley but I’ll be looking for more time to post more often.  But for now, I am looking for students who are looking for a church in Berkeley…or a fresh college student looking for his chemistry lecture hall like I did 26 years ago.

Next week, we will be transitioning to our new role as Church Planting Pastor & Director of Training for Gracepoint Ministries.  After 13 years here in Davis, we’ll be heading back to our Gracepoint Berkeley Church where we spent the first 13 years, beginning with our college years.  We’ll be working closely with Pastor Ed and Kelly, strategically coordinating and implementing our church planting and training initiatives.  (Boy, that sounds really official like some stuffy resume!)  Basically, we’ll be doing whatever we can do wherever/whenever/however to see an Acts 2 church in every college town!

Here in cow town, Gracepoint Davis Church will led by Pastor William & Esther Kang who have been leading our InterHigh and Element youth ministries in Berkeley/Alameda.  We’ve journeyed more than half of our lives together (since late 80′s) through thick and thin…  (Yes, we were way thinner back then!)    We served in ministry together in the 90′s and have been growing together as directors.  William and I got our M.Div. through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary together and he knows more Greek than me, even though I look more geekier! 

Tomorrow is our official farewell where we’ll have good food and times of  recalling fond memories shared together in this precious community.  I have a feeling tomorrow will be one of those vintage moments that affirm why we long to see an Acts 2 church in every college town…

OK, I’m not going to embarrass her by writing sappy things like “I remember when she was a little baby, saying ‘My daddy!’ with the cutest of smiles…“  But I am going to embarrass her by posting this picture that I took as I firmly put on my seat belt and prayed for dear life!  (and the lives of those on the road in Davis).  When you see this student driver on the roads of Davis, please lift up a prayer for her to focus on driving.  And while you are at it, lift up a prayer for her dad!

Hey Kristen, at least you don’t need to wear a helmet like you had to while riding your bike and the seat belt won’t mess up your stylin’ hair! 

As I was teaching her some driving tips, I was reminded of the basics of life that I’d like to share with all of you:  Remember to check your mirrors and don’t forget to look over the shoulder…because the person passing by in the left lane might be my precious daughter!

But if Good Friday is good, Easter Sunday is even better!  We are renting the ARC Ballroom on the UC Davis campus so that many students would be able to bring their friends to it.  I will be covering the topic of “The Case for Easter:  Reasons for the Resurrection” and will be incorporating some new material from a Gracepoint Minneapolis Church team member–Thanks, Roy!

Here’s our invite since it’s an easy free advertisement on my blog.  Come and join us this Sunday and bring a friend!

• WHEN:  April 24, 11am
• WHERE:  UC Davis ARC Ballroom

I’ve been a fool to think that Gmail could be improved upon but google proved me wrong again!  I think I’ll get everyone at Gracepoint Davis Church to use Gmail Motion today!

They say a picture speaks a thousand words and I wondered if these pictures could talk, what they would say.  So for the captions, I put words into their mouths just for fun!

"Let's get Billy! Those photographers are always holding onto their camera thinking they won't get hit with a snowball... Alright, 1,2,3--smile Billy!" (at our most recent snow trip where we got fresh fluffy snow; it's so fluffy, I could die! )

"Uh, I don't know what funny face I can make beside the one that I have on 24/7... I'll just smile." (Bonfire in SF beach last Fall for our college groups)

"Hey, I didn't know that apologetics could be this fun! But I guess with all the funny faces they always make, it makes sense..." (Recent SAGE Training (Spring Apologetics, Gospel, & Evangelism) at our church)

"OK, I'll take up my cross and eat this OREO for Jesus." (Fun games at our Christmas Celebration a few months ago; I wish I could have been picked for this game.)

"Alright girls, I think this picture will make it to our website, what do you think?" (Acts 2 Fellowship sisters doing what sisters in the first church did 2000 years ago)

"Oh man, will my face show up? I'm getting blocked by these tall sisters. Oh well, I better step on my tippy toes..." (Combined Winter Retreat with A2F & Koinonia ministries in California including newbies from UCSD and UC Riverside!)

I’m really looking forward to this Spring Break for the first ever SAGE Training!  We’ll be going through some apologetics topics, reading the gospel of John, and being equipped for evangelism! Some topics include:

• “How can I trust in Christianity when so many Christians are hypocrites?  And why are Christians so judgmental toward everyone who doesn’t agree with them?”
• “What is the Christian response to the arguments laid out in the New Atheism books like Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion?”
• “Isn’t religion dangerous?”
• “Can’t people be good without God?”
• plus many more!

We’ll be having small group projects during the day and during the evening hours, they will have lectures and presentations.  I’m really looking forward to it and have been blessed perusing some of the new books and DVD’s out there.  So come and join us at Gracepoint Davis Church, March 21-22!  For more info and to sign up, please email your ministry lead.

This is not what you would expect from a pluralistic society that is supposed to be tolerant and accepting of all religions and faith traditions.  It seemed so unfairly targeted since there were no other A-frames nearby vandalized; there was no “atheism is dead” or “pre-meds are dead” or the like.

I wondered how long it would take for the UC Davis campus to get outraged at this clear violation of the Principles of Community that we are all to abide by.  After all, there have been other graffiti vandalisms on campus in years past, and many of those caused loud uproars.  I guess the big difference was that this time, it was against the Christian tradition and it wasn’t a big deal to many out there.  There was no newspaper coverage, no vigil, no speeches, no nothing…just the still small voice of silence as people passed by.  Maybe god is dead, but alas, no one cares to give even a proper eulogy…

As I wondered what the folks at IGSM should do in response, I realized that the best way to prove that God is NOT dead is to simply forgive. After all, God is alive and God is forgiving.  God proved His existence by forgiving sinners like me.  And the amazing truth of the gospel is that the vandal who did this can also be forgiven and that is what I am sincerely praying for.  After all, when Christians forgive, it is a clear sign for God.

Sorry for not updating this blog for a long long time!  It’s been more than 2 months since I posted something.  Yesterday, someone reminded me that they look forward to seeing what’s happening here in Davis and in our lives–so thank Kevin (from Gracepoint Taiwan) for encouraging me to start anew!

I’ll start off with a short post featuring our Christmas Card picture.  We tried to get it out to everyone but if you didn’t get yours yet, please email us and we’ll send one right away!

I thought it would be fun to show you the pictures that didn’t make it to our card (kinda like bloopers).  So, you’ll see the final product along with those that didn’t make the cut!

Cute picture but we didn't have space on the card.

Kristen & Taylor posing for their new album cover!

Kristen wasn't fooled on this one...

...but now, Taylor's the fool!

In case you haven’t gotten the info yet (or if you have some friends in the Davis area you want to invite), here it is:

And here’s a quick promo video as well:

(BTW, I’m not going to wear a suit this year!)