Lost without Lost?

So where are all the Lost fans?   Tonight is the big night.  I am looking forwad to finding out what the heck is going on, or at least figure out what it means to move an island.  Think we will find out tonight?   And what exactly is going on???   Do you think this is purgatory?  [...]

Who Will Be Saved?

I am really excited about a book I just returned home from the store with.  The book is Who Will Be Saved? by Bishop William Willimon.   Just to give you a little teaser here are what some are saying about it:
Here is Willimon, teaching Bishop, at his best.  He takes up the urgent, hard question [...]

Reflections From a Rooftop 03

Our kids with friend, Haregu, outside the bank at the market:

After being united with our kids and loosing all the balloons that our tired lungs could blow up we loaded into the “taxi-van” that would be our ride for the week and headed to the market.  Driving in Ethiopia is an experience in and of [...]

Being the Church Today

At EmergingRural.com a poster made a comment that reminded me of the ongoing balancing act it requires to be the church today.  I wrote an article for my undergrad’s School of Religion magazine about being the church.  I post it here and would welcome comments and/or critiques.    Peace.
One of the first impressions I had of [...]

First Things First

Below is the message for this Sunday.  Jesus speaks on anxiety and worry. 
First Things First
Matthew 6:24-34
 
Found on a church bulletin:  Don’t let worry kill you – let the church help. 
Fresh out of business school, a young man answered a want ad for an accountant. Now he was being interviewed by a very nervous [...]

Snapshots

 
The next Lenny Kravitz? 

Have your people contact my people and we’ll see what we can work out…

Playing in the basement…

I am the father of how many kids???

Purpose Driven or Drivel?

 
My friend Eugene who is from South Africa asked a question under the “About” thread that I thought deserved its own post.  Hopefully some others who pass by here can offer more perspective than I.   Eugene wrote:
Chad, perhaps you and others can help me understand what it is about Rick Warren that bugs the people [...]

Tragedy

Our hearts go out to the Steven Curtis Chapman family who are enduring an awful tragedy this week in the loss of their 5 year old adopted daughter from China, Maria Sue.   The news story is pasted below.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them this evening.  
West Michigan Christian music fans are expressing their sympathy [...]

Surprised by Hope…Interlude

I realize it has been a few weeks since the last installment of the book study I am doing on Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright.  Having been gone for a week and preparing for our trip has caused me to postpone a few lessons.   This Sunday night I am doing a forum on our [...]

EmergingRural

I think Mr. Duke is right. Nearly 90% of American churches are average less than 100 members each Sunday and many of those are in rural settings, especially here in North Carolina. And yet for as many as they are rural churches throughout America have this nagging suspicion that they are forgotten and [...]

Kids say the darndest things

Today the kids and I were playing in the yard and a neighbor kid showed up to join in. He asked Maddox what his daddy did and Maddox said, “My daddy reads a lot of books.” Ha! What’s funny is he said the same thing to my mom and dad while they [...]

Reflections From A Rooftop 02

It has been several days since my first reflections on our trip which I wrote in the middle of the night in Ethiopia. It has taken some time for me to fully digest all that went on and all that I saw and slowly but surely I am able to get my thoughts on [...]

More pics from today

Brothers…

Should I be worried that my daughter already knows how to pose????

Hideat playing with Brody. She is such a good mommy to him already. Yesterday she told me he had “caca” in his diaper and she laid him down and started taking off his shorts to change his diaper! She loves to [...]

We’re Back

Home…safe…elated…exhausted…grateful…hopeful…
Part 2 of my reflections from a rooftop will be coming. This trip has been amazing. Need some time to organize the million things that could be said.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. You mean the world to us.
grace and peace,
The Holtz’s

Introducing “Addison” Hideat and “Aiden” Fanuel

This is Amy and our two kids after we just met. What a moment! Hideat came right up to mama and gave her a hug and a kiss. Fanuel was a bit more stoic and reserved. But wait till you see him laugh and smile!

We all went off on a [...]

Reflections from a Rooftop 01

It was dark as we flew into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From a few thousand feet above the mountain top city, known as the Rooftop of Africa, I remarked to Amy how few lights there are below in this capital city as compared to any city of [...]

Welcome to Ethiopia

We made it! We landed at 7:30PM Sunday night (local time), 8 hours ahead of EST. It is hard to believe we are here. I’m exhausted but exhillerated at the same time. Amy cried when we first saw the lights of the city as we neared landing.
Not going to [...]

We’re Outta Here!

Just woke up from my last night as a father of two. I don’t know that it has really hit me yet. Amy and I are both very anxious to get there and take in every moment, every step. It is absolutely amazing how just 7 months ago this was all a [...]

Ethiopia or Bust

We are nearly ready to go. On Saturday we will fly out of Raleigh, NC to D.C. where we will pick up our flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after a short refuel stop in Rome (bummer we can’t get off the plane).
What will our week look like? It’s pretty exciting. [...]

The God’s Aren’t Angry

I just received an email that the DVD pre-release for The God’s Aren’t Angry is going on sale now. They will be shipped out on or about June 6th. If you purchase now you get a free audio CD of Rob Bell’s talk as well. Race ya’ all to it!
Oh, if [...]