Chris Wilson

At the end of our Leaders Collective Church Planters Cohort in May 2017, we had to give a fifteen minute pitch about the church we were planting. Think Shark Tank, but with gracious pastors who want to see you succeed at what God has called you to. There was a general sense of excitement among the group as we drew numbers to determine the order we would present. My own excitement was drowned out by fear and trepidation that this would be the moment I was exposed and told that church planting wasn’t for me. When it was my turn, I walked to the front of the small room, put both hands on the side of the music stand to steady myself, adjusted my papers to feel more prepared, and after a deep settling breath started to talk. For fifteen minutes, I tried to cast a compelling vision for why I planted Restoration Church in Wilmington, NC. In what felt like mere seconds ,the allotted time had expired. My mouth was dry and like a convicted criminal led to the front of the firing line, I...

It has been a while since anything has appeared on the blog and for that I apologize. I promise I didn't write a single post and then abandon this space. It has been a busy season in the life of our family and the church I pastor. However, I have made a commitment to giving time twice a week to writing and posting here starting in August. Stay tuned as there will be, I hope, some great content to engage and encourage you in your life and walk with Christ!

It’s been almost a year and a half and yet it still feels like yesterday. I can remember the cold air burning my lungs on the walk over to the cabin that morning. It was a chill that woke you up long before the coffee ever hit your lips; my kind of weather. As the sun made its way up over the trees, it burned off the last remnants of mist that clung to the water’s surface. I didn’t realize it then but that was an apt analogy for what God had in store for my life on October 26, 2016. Our Leaders Collective Church Planters Cohort was at The Barn at Valhalla in Chapel Hill, NC for a three day self-awareness retreat. Sunlight streamed through the A-frame windows into the living area of The Lodge. Elliot, the Leaders Collective Director, had just called us together to begin the days work. Tape had been laid out on the floor creating four squares, chairs were scattered about, and a fire was gaining strength in the fire place. We all knew we would be going through an intense one-on-one ...