A technical glitch kept me from posting last night, but I’m still rejoicing over this weekend.  Here’s a few quick highlights:

Even though the Sunday after Easter is historically the lowest-attended Sunday of the year (for all churches, including CLC - there’s a reason for that, but it’s too long to explain now), we welcomed 1,671 [...]

I’m really pumped about the new sermon series we begin this weekend at all 3 campuses – in fact, it’s more than a new series, it’s really a campaign to “Paint the Town Red”.
 
I don’t know what that idiom means to you, but I can tell you it’s the most ambitious undertaking we’ve ever [...]

I want to begin a new feature today - “ask the pastor”.  I already get questions from time to time, and it dawned on me that perhaps others of you would like to ask a question about the Bible or some aspect of church life or whatever, so this will be your opportunity.  Simply comment [...]

I know this is ‘Spring break’ for a lot of CLCers, but this weekend also promises to be one of the best Family weekends we’ve ever experienced!  Props to Joe & Sarah Dascenzo, our Family Ministry Directors for the terrific job they’re doing to help resource and encourage parents to help pass their faith to [...]

I’ve had 3 different conversations in the last couple of days about how important it is for us to function in our area of strength-

the first was yesterday as our combined Youth (“Wildfire”) and Adult dance teams ministered so beautifully in each Easter celebration - I leaned over to my wife and said, “I’m so [...]

I’m as tired as I ever recall on an Easter Sunday night, but I’ve still got goosebumps thinking about the wonderful weekend we’ve just had at CLC!  I think it was the second-highest attendance in our history, as almost 2,100 people worshipped with us at our 3 campuses!  Specifically:
in Shorewood, almost 300 people worshipped with [...]

Can you believe it?  CLC will be 18 years old next week!
And to celebrate, we’ve scheduled a one-time-only, extra-special celebration for Sunday, March 30 at 6pm with my pastor, Bishop Joseph Garlington!
I know this is short notice, but I hope you’ll make plans now to set aside everthing else and join us for a PAR-TAY [...]

That’s a subject that most churches/pastors avoid, and I understand why - it’s fraught with all sorts of landmines that can blow up a ministry.
But I do think the latest news about Barack Obama’s speech dealing with racism in America - in fact, the whole attention that race has received in the Democratic party nomination [...]

Lots of churches sponsor Easter egg hunts at this time of year (I’m still trying to figure out how decorated eggs got into the Easter story.  But I gotta admit, I like those chocolate bunnies…)
At CLC-Tinley Park, we’re sponsoring a different kind of ‘hunt’ – it’s the parking spot and auditorium chair hunt that many [...]

No, not the Bulls (at least, not this year). Definitely not the Cubs. Or the Sox. (I sorta lost interest in baseball after the strike of several years back, unless you count being a ‘fair weather fan’ when Sox won the Series). And right now, I don’t even have da Bears [...]