Spring Forward Sunday showed no mercy this year. Losing that hour hit everyone a little harder than expected. Andrew bumbled his way through week 26 of preaching through the Gospel of John and somehow made it to the closing prayer. Twenty six weeks in and still going strong… or at least still going.Frank had a big week on the church planting front. Cross & Crown officially has a storage unit now, which means things are getting real. They also picked up some helpful hand-me-downs from a defunct church plant, the classic church planting tradition of holy recycling. Frank also visited his wife’s home church and reconnected with people from his early days in ministry, which was both encouraging and a little nostalgic.Joining us this week is our friend Zach, a missionary serving in the Czech Republic. He gives us a window into the unique ministry context of Central Europe, what faith looks like in one of the most secular regions in the world, and how the gospel is still quietly changing lives there.It’s a conversation about ministry at home and abroad, surviving the time change, and remembering that God is at work in places both familiar and far away.

This week, Andrew got a great question from a newer attendee who grew up Episcopalian and wanted to understand the difference between what they were used to and what they’re hearing now. So we talk preaching styles, liturgy, structure, and why some sermons feel like a written prayer while others feel like a guided tour through the text with a few side roads along the way.

Tim is deep in the middle of a vision campaign, which currently means he is eating three meals a day with church members. After three sermons and a new members class yesterday, he logged 240 minutes of speaking time. That is four straight hours, for those keeping score at home. Hydration is now a spiritual discipline.

Frank hosted a launch team meeting and start-up party for Cross & Crown, and momentum is building in all the right ways.

And to top it all off, our friend Adam Powers is in the house, which means the conversation is lively, the takes are strong, and someone probably says something they shouldn’t.

It’s another week of preaching, planting, casting vision, and trying to find our voices by Monday morning.

It’s just Andrew and Tim this week. Andrew spent the last several days at a denominational conference in Chicago. It was cold, a little discouraging, and spiritually character building in the way only winter and long meetings can be. Thankfully, church on Sunday reminded him why we do this in the first place.

Back at Safety Harbor, it was too cold for anyone to sit outside, which somehow led to a great problem. A bunch of college students showed up. There was also a little bit of exploding communion and foot washing. Not really, but almost.

At Lakeview, the cold weather forced baptisms to move indoors. Unfortunately, the heat was not working, so the symbolism remained intact. Cold water, cold air, warm faith. Tim is now officially entering the fundraising chapter of his ministry career as Lakeview begins the process of building their new worship center.

Andrew is recording from Chicago this week, in town for a denominational conference and surviving winter one session at a time. Frank hosted a Cross & Crown launch party at a local coffee shop, proving once again that church planting runs just as much on caffeine as it does on faith.

Back at Lakeview, Tim officially unveiled the new site plan to the congregation, complete with vision, anticipation, and the collective sound of people trying to picture where everything will go.

From conference halls to coffee counters to construction drawings, it’s another reminder that ministry happens in a lot of places, and none of them are boring.

Tim is grieving. The Jags lost, and we are all choosing to respect the process. Andrew is still faithfully preaching through the Gospel of John, now 20 weeks in and only 10 chapters down. At this rate, we’ll finish sometime around the second coming, but no one is rushing perfection.

Frank, on the other hand, had a big week. Cross and Crown hosted an official event and over 400 people showed up, which is either incredibly encouraging or deeply terrifying, depending on the moment. Lakeview is in full vision-casting mode, talking future, direction, and what’s next.

Meanwhile, Safety Harbor is trying very hard to be a good neighbor… even when there’s a zydeco band playing right outside during the service. Nothing tests pastoral focus like an unexpected accordion solo in the middle of prayer.

Ministry is happening, the Gospel is still being preached, and the neighbors are definitely having more fun than we are.

It’s just Andrew and Frank to kick off the new year, which means fewer voices and even less structure. Andrew spent the break in Arkansas, proving once again that Christmas travel builds character… or at least patience. Frank preached at a local church in that strange, timeless week between Christmas and New Year’s, then jumped right back in yesterday by launching a brand-new vision series at Lakeview. Oh, and somewhere in the middle of all that officially came off staff at Lakeview. Because January waits for no one.

At Safety Harbor, Andrew restarted the Gospel of John after a five-week Christmas and Advent pause, which feels a bit like trying to remember where you left off in a really long Netflix series.

We spend some time recapping Advent, Christmas services, lessons learned, and what it feels like to go from “Silent Night” straight back into ordinary time.It’s the first episode of the year, full of reflection, reset energy, and the quiet realization that ministry does not actually slow down just because the calendar flips.

It was a busy week all around! Frank took the pulpit at Lakeview, proving once again that he can preach and keep everyone awake. Tim decided to skip church altogether (don’t worry, he calls it “Sabbath”), and Andrew crashed Lakeview’s staff meeting like the uninvited intern he never was.

Over at Safety Harbor, there’s a new interim worship leader holding things down for a couple of weeks—because nothing says “holiday season” like a little transition. And just to keep things interesting, the church is kicking off a construction project right before Christmas. What could possibly go wrong?

Tune in for ministry updates, friendly roasting, and your weekly reminder that God’s still faithful, even when the building plans aren’t.

Thanksgiving week came and went, and Advent is officially underway! Lakeview kicked things off with their annual Advent Social, where the Larsen family lit the first candle of the season—hope, joy, and maybe just a little chaos.

Speaking of chaos, Tim managed to literally take out his brother-in-law at the annual Turkey Bowl, proving that family football is still a full-contact sport. Meanwhile, Andrew’s family celebrated the holiday Florida-style, hitting Disney not once but twice (yes, including the waterpark) and cheering on the Liberty Flames at the ESPN basketball tournament.

It’s a festive mix of family, faith, and football on this week’s episode of the Morning After Ministry Show!

Advent Devotional:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rvzejyqhgi2gghbgmwbji/Perfect-Timing-Advent-Devotional.pdf?rlkey=cz8fccnmqdrzir3k4nbj2ddbk&dl=0