Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash; Edited in Canva School wrapped up here this week, and I had the opportunity to be part of our Christian School’s first 8th grade graduation by giving the benediction prayer. This first graduation was special not just because it was our first one, but because of the young lady who graduated. I have known her for her entire educational career. I came to this church in May 2018, which happened to coincide with the Christian School’s first year bein

One the common shows in my house is the classic I Love Lucy . Over the years, I have become pretty well versed on the show and even many behind the scenes nuggets. Recently, I used an illustration from one episode in a sermon. The story takes place while the main characters are in Hollywood for Ricky to film a movie. When the film is suddenly shelved, Lucy springs into action to make sure Ricky isn’t fired. She devises a plan to hire a random man to pose as a big-time produce

Basketball season is winding down for me as an official , and one of my recent games happened to coincide with a school's senior night. Before the game, there was the usual ceremony recognizing the athletes and celebrating their high school careers. I couldn't help but notice, when they got to the two basketball players, that one of their teammates was visibly emotional, with tears in her eyes. What struck me most was how one of the girls being recognized seemed genuinely s

Years ago, I came across a blog post on studentministry.org titled “ 100 blog topics I hope YOU write. ” Surprisingly, to me, the 100th topic “How to Get Students Involved in the Rest of the Church Body,” remained untouched. In this article, we explore some practical ways to involve students in the broader church community - all of which I have implemented over the past 15 years of youth ministry. NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK Most people (including youth leaders in various contex

Yesterday, I served my second stint as an Officer of Election. I was one of those people greeting you at the door, checking you in,...

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about a fairly tough, sensitive topic. Death. A few weeks ago my wife’s grandfather passed away. He is a beloved and well respected man in his community, and loved by his family. Funerals are never easy, but like it or not, we will all face this one day. While helping and watching my in-laws prepare for the funeral, I was overwhelmed by the stories, pictures, and love they demonstrated to their husband, father, and grandfather. There were

Many years ago my dad, Billy Hutchinson, a pastor and ministry leader of over two decades, began writing a column for a small-town newspaper, The Brunswick Times-Gazette. His column connected the truth of God’s Word with real life situations, observations, and experiences. His article was known as “I Was Just Thinking…” and reached people throughout the United States and the world. Two years ago my dad passed away. While I know he is with Jesus, his passing has been difficult