STSA Ministries OPEN HOUSE Launches Today

November 6, 2020

I have some exciting news to share! Today we’ll be launching our 2nd annual STSA Ministries Open House, but like everything else in 2020, it’s gonna look a little different.

As opposed to coming here for an entire weekend conference (remember those?), we’re bringing the Open House to YOU! That’s right. This Open House is entirely ONLINE and 100% FREE to anyone who wants to participate. And not only can you attend from the comfort of your own home, you’ll also get to set your own schedule as well.

That’s because this year’s Open House is a "choose your own adventure” virtual experience where we provide several topics and resources to choose from, and you select the ones that are relevant or interesting to you.

Here’s a quick preview of what’s in store.

PODCAST: Gaining Inspiration from Vacation

July 16, 2020

"The devil never takes a vacation so priests shouldn’t either.”

That’s something I used to hear - and tell myself - early on in my priesthood. But I’ve since repented and changed my ways. I’ve “seen the light” and realized that getting rest for your soul, your body and your spirit is an essential element of being an effective leader.

Besides, why would I want to make the devil my role model in any area of life :)

In this month’s episode of Bringing An Ancient Faith to a Modern World, I share about my recent vacation and talk about why you might want to consider taking one yourself - especially if you’re in a position of leadership.

DISCONNECTED, Part 4 - Q&A

June 23, 2020

We wrapped up our series DISCONNECTED this week and we did so by answering your questions and discussing practical ways to apply everything we’ve been learning.

PODCAST: The Church and the Community

June 22, 2020

In this month’s episode of Bringing An Ancient Faith to a Modern World, I am joined by Steve Messeh of HOPE Multiplied (and my brother) and we discuss the history and impact of community service at STSA and why all churches should be looking for opportunities to invest in their own communities as well.

MOMENTUM 2020: What Does Love Require?

June 17, 2020

We’re bringing MOMENTUM to you!

That’s right. For the first time ever, you don’t need to book a flight, or a hotel, or figure out whose couch you’ll be sleeping on…this year, MOMENTUM is coming to your home, your laptop, and your TV screen (and maybe even your phone, but hopefully not).

For only $20 per person, you can register for this year’s conference on June 27 – a one day virtual event where you’ll get to learn from a diverse group of speakers from across the globe. Such as,

UNDER PRESSURE - Disconnected, Part 3

June 16, 2020

It’s not enough to just worry about what I am SAYING.
I need to understand what others are HEARING.

You aren’t yourself when you’re hungry. That is true not only physically but emotionally as well. We all handle stress and conflict in different ways.

But based on our temperaments, we can understand some of the patterns that probably have plagued us for years and (hopefully) find ways to actively work on improving in those areas.

That’s this week’s message in part 3 of DISCONNECTED.

Searching for Hope

June 12, 2020

HOPE. What is it? Where do I find it? How do I get it? And if I do get it, how do I keep it? Why does that guy seem to have so much of it and I have so little of it? Is there really such a thing as hope in my situation?

Of course we all know the “right” answers to these questions. It’s easy to rattle off some Bible verses and spew out a few stories and then declare “so just hope in God.” But do we really believe that? Do you really believe that?

The honest answer for me? Yes and no. At times, yes. And at other times, no. There are those times when life seems to be going well – not perfect, but at least moving in the right direction. Economy is up, career is progressing, and relationships are stable. Life is good. At times like that, it’s easy to talk about hope and tell others about hope as well. Hope is ours.

But those “good” times seem to occur much less frequently than the “bad” times don’t they? The economy seems to be down more than it’s up. My career has more bumps than I expected. And my relationships (or lack thereof) seem to be a constant source of stress and anxiety in my life. Where’s hope then?

WORDS WE NEED - Disconnected, Part 2

June 9, 2020

Every word you USE is a word you CHOOSE.

We’re in week 2 of DISCONNECTED and this week I invited two special guests to join me as we discuss the “words we need” based on our temperaments. The same words that motivate some, discourage others. The same words that some brush off quickly; others hold on to for years.

But the more we understand ourselves and those around us, the more we can speak to their needs and communicate more effectively.

IN IT TOGETHER: A Conversation about Race

June 4, 2020

Obviously there’s been a lot of discussion around the topic of race in America these days and I believe that we – aka, the Church, the Body of Christ – need to be at the forefront of such discussions, speaking truth and shedding light into some difficult areas.

So in place of our regularly scheduled Bible study last night, we hosted a special event called “IN IT TOGETHER: A Conversation about Race” where I was joined by 3 members of our church family and we had very candid conversation around the topic of race.

The 4 Temperaments - DISCONNECTED Part 1

June 2, 2020

“Even though we’re all using the same words, we might not all be speaking the same language.”

We kicked off a new series yesterday and I was so excited about it, that I decided to invite a special friend to join me…MY WIFE!

Check out our latest series DISCONNECTED as we examine the unique ways in which God wired us, and how understanding those differences can help us communicate more lovingly and effectively with the people we love the most.

ASK ME ANYTHING - Today, 12:30 pm

May 29, 2020

It’s been a while but it’s time for another ASK ME ANYTHING scope, today at 12:30 pm EST. So get your questions ready and I’ll do my best to answer them. Your questions set the agenda!

EUCHARIST - After the Resurrection, Part 5

May 27, 2020

“It’s by RECEIVING the Body of Christ, that we BECOME the Body of Christ. “

We wrapped up our series After the Resurrection this week where our topic was the pinnacle of all sacraments: the Eucharist. Check out the video above and see what communion is both what He came for and what we were made for.

PODCAST: The Next Phase

May 20, 2020

In this month’s episode of Bringing An Ancient Faith to a Modern World, I share my thoughts about the “next phase” of church ministry and leadership. In light of the unique circumstances that we’re living in. the thought on everyone’s mind is this: where do we go from here?

CONFESSION - After the Resurrection, Part 4

May 19, 2020

“Confession isn’t about JUDGING a sin. It’s about HEALING a sinner.”

Ever wondered where Confession came from and why it’s so important? What actually happens when I confess and also, what happens if I don’t?

That’s our topic in Part 4 of After the Resurrection. We’re looking at the sacrament of Confession and how it is the mystery by which we “receive the healing touch of Christ today.”

At-Home Liturgy Guide

May 15, 2020

These certainly are strange times that we’re living in – no leaving the house, no going to church, no using more than 4 squares of toilet paper per “trip”. But despite all the craziness, one thing that does not change – and will NEVER change – is the following commandment (#4 out of the big 10):

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8

BAPTISM - After the Resurrection, Part 3

May 14, 2020

What does it mean to be “born again”? Or that I am “adopted into His family” and can be an “heir with Christ”? Are those just figures of speech? Or is there more to it than that?

We’re in Part 3 of our series After the Resurrection and this week’s message focuses on the sacrament of Baptism and two of the many benefits that come from it: REGENERATION and ADOPTION.

The Power of An Empty Tomb

May 6, 2020

“But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” (John 20:11-13)

That was the scene just moments before Mary became the first witness to the greatest miracle to ever take place – the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus from dead. Try to imagine the scene – she is standing outside the tomb and sees the stone has been rolled away (a feat that no human could have done alone). She’s weeping. She’s sobbing. Her emotions are going from bad to worse – not only is He dead, but they’ve gotten rid of His Body too (something very disgraceful in the ancient Hebrew culture).

A bad day just became worse and you can imagine her feeling standing inside that tomb – that empty tomb. Crushed. Depressed. Defeated. Hopeless. The tomb was the worst place ever.

But then it all changed. It all changed when she saw Jesus. He appeared to her and called her by name, “Mary.” She recognized Him immediately and that was it. That changed everything.

PRIESTHOOD - After the Resurrection, Part 2

May 4, 2020

Ever wondered why the Orthodox church makes such a big deal out of priesthood? Or thought to yourself “what makes them so special? Aren’t we all supposed to priests in some sense?”

If so, then you need to check out the message above. It’s Part 2 in our series After the Resurrection and this week’s message focuses on the sacrament of priesthood.

What is it? Where did it come from? And most importantly, what does it mean to me today?

PARTICIPATION IN CHRIST - After the Resurrection, Part 1

April 27, 2020

Christ is risen! Happy Easter to everyone. We are back and no virus is going to stop us from meeting (virtually of course) and sharing the Word of God. So if you missed yesterday’s message, check out the link above.

The series is called AFTER THE RESURRECTION. In it, we talk about the sacraments of the Church and how we find the full power of Christ and His resurrection in those sacraments.

Easter Message from Bishop Peter

April 20, 2020

CHRIST IS RISEN!!!

Wishing everyone a glorious Feast of the Lord’s Resurrection (aka, Easter) and I wanted to share the letter we read during the service from His Grace Bishop Peter. Seeing as so many people were touched by it and asking me for a copy, I decided to post it here. Enjoy!