We are driving in Pennsylvania right now passing through some pretty amazing scenery - didn't realize it was this green and lush!  Mack is driving, Tripp is working on a video, and I've been thinking about our time last Friday with Pete Wilson and Anne Jackson...had to start writing.

Pete and Anne spent Friday afternoon with us and shared a lot about their thoughts on blogging.  Blogging is weird.  It has the sense and appearance of authenticity but, as Anne expressed so simply, it lacks "eye-contact."  Would you write something the same as if you were actually telling it to someone, or a group of people, face to face?  Pete will not write anything on his blog that he would not say from stage.  We talked about how blog ratings, page views, and comment totals are sometimes the success measurements for a blog...it can become a game of trying to maintain a following. 

Pete and Anne shared so much great insight from their experience as bloggers and how they find blogs to be like moden day devotionals from some of the greatest minds in the church today.  They seek to simply be themselves and offer their lives as a means of encouragement to any that might want to follow.  Anne said something that was so encouraging, not just because of what she said but because of how she said it.  "Whoever is supposed to see my blog will see it.  I don't care about what my blog stats might say."  I believe her, and it was so refreshing to hear.  Thanks, Pete & Anne, for giving us face time and a chance to hear your thoughts complete with "eye-contact!"  :)

It woud absolutely be worth your time to check out their blogs!
Pete Wilson's Blog | Anne Jackson's Blog

Columbus, OH
We drove over 9 hours today and now find ourselves in Loudonville, OH where we are resting our heads for the night.  6AM came early this morning but after a Starbuck's run we were all set and began our drive from Nashville, through Kentucky, and into Ohio.  By 3PM we were sitting at the local Pot Belly sandwich shop off of I71North just north of Columbus, OH with our new friend, Kary Oberbrunner - pastor, author, speaker, and "Recovering Pharisee."  It's so refreshing to talk to a guy who knows and admits the easy path of judging success based on spiritual efforts and accomplishments & then the pious prison of trying to maintain that success...it's empty and never ending!  Kary talked with us about his journey and all that the Lord has been doing with him - he has a new book out called The Fine Line, fresh insight and wisdom in the ongoing conversation on integrating Christianity with culture...“What does it mean to be in the world, but not of it?”  Check out Kary's website to learn more...

Loudonville, OH
After our late lunch with Kary we were on the road again, this time headed to Loudonville, OH.  You may remember back in April we held an online Viewer's Choice Contest awarding a road trip visit to the city or area that sent the most number of emails to me in the one week period leading up to Easter.  Loudonville, OH beat out Portland, OR by by sending in over 150 emails...my phone call to Charles Hill, Lead Pastor at New Hope Community Church in Loudonville, announcing his contest victory was one of the best phone calls of the year - he was so excited!  Let's just say that excitement has spilled over into their community...tonight we pulled into their church parking lot greeted by dozens and dozens of people hanging out waiting for us to welcome us to their town.  (we were a little late because our GPS lost the signal of the road we were on, no joke, our GPS screen went blank and we had no idea how to navigate out of the corn field expanse all around us).  Hot dogs, burgers, and drinks were waiting for us when we finally arrived along with "Cornhole" boxes and local competitors eagerly waiting to teach us this classic midwest game.  Unfortunately our arrival seemed to perfectly coincide with an onslaught of rain...the downpour forced our evening cookout inside the church.  No "Cornhole," but we still had a blast! 

Charles Hill and the staff showed us around the church and we had a chance to meet several members of the New Hope community.  It wasn't long before we made our way into the sanctuary for the Saturday evening service.  We had front row seats and enjoyed worship and teaching from Charles challenging us with the word, "move."  It's so easy to remain complacently coasting through life when the Lord is possibly, check that, probably urging us into a place of great risk, full of action.  To move is to risk, and that is where we see Him work on our behalf.  So good.  At the end of the service Charles invited us on stage and I had a chance to share more about the purpose of the Catalyst Road Trip.  This served as a perfect segue to share the heartbeat of this adventure and why we are on the road - to hear from leaders like Charles about what is happening on the front line of the church and take advantage of an opportunity to say thank you.  Church leaders stand post on behalf of their community with BIG RED TARGETS on their chest inviting shots from all angles and in ways few people truly understand.  They are to celebrated, and celebrated emphatically.  Tonight, we celebrated Charles and their leadership team...

Charles' story, and the story of New Hope Community Church, is unique in that the Lord is developing a model exposing the undeniable truth that small to mid-sized communities really can change the world.  Who wants to plant a church or lead a congregation in a place like Loudonville, OH?  How many of you have ever heard of Loudonville, OH?  Exactly!  Yet Loudonville, OH is a place that is launching global efforts in sharing the gospel through the work at New Hope Community Church.  Charles Hill is passionate about investing his life into this community because he knows the world will never be the same, and he wants others in small towns all across the country to truly understand that they really can change the world.  You have to check out Charles Hill's Blog to read more...

We are staying with host families tonight...I am with Charles while Mack & Tripp are with other families from the church.  This has been an amazing day; it seems like the corn fields around Loudonville serve as a time warp into the peaceful "black and white" world of Pleasantville.  All the neighbors are friendly, and all of the front doors seem to have invisible signs that say, "come on in!"  It feels like a home away from home...

it's late, and time for bed.  We are headed to Kent, OH tomorrow morning to join Jonathan Herron, lead pastor at Catalyst Church, for their 10:30AM service.  Tomorrow night we will be in Troy, NY!

Stay tuned for more updates from the road,

LV
on behalf of Mack, Tripp, & The Catalyst Team

WOW!  And yes, I know it's a generic term...but it's incredibly appropriate.  Today, we were able to meet with sevearl leaders that left us speechless in response.  It's tough to capture in words, especially at this hour.  Donald Miller shared about their efforts to raise money and awareness concerning the undeniable need for clean water in Africa...Pete Wilson and Anne Jackson peeled back the layers of the blogging world and shared about the story of their young and fast growing church here in Nashville...AND dinner with Nate Larkin was filled with many, many moments of awe-filled silence as we heard from the heart of a man who is raw and real with his words. 

Mack Kitchel (Vanagon Vagabond Veteran, from our road trip to OH earlier this year) and Tripp Crosby (our newest Vanagon Vagabond Rookie) have hit the road with me on this trip to the northeast.  Tonight we are staying in Nashville, at the Hyatt, thanks to a gift from our good friend Michael Reddish and the Dave Ramsey Team.  It's geting late and we have to leave tomorow morning at 6AM so it's time to hit it...here is a real quick snapshot of our day - videos are in the works and you will NOT want to miss some of what was shared:

• Afterooon meeting with Donald Miller & The Ride:Well Bike Tour (video coming)
  Donald Miller's Blog
  Ride:Well Bike Tour Blog

• Late lunch with Pete Wilson, Lead Pastor and blogging guru from Crosspoint Church in Nashville, & Anne Jackson, blogging queen now serving on staff with Pete and the Crosspoint Team (video coming)
  Pete Wilson's Blog
  Anne Jackson's Blog

• Dinner with Nate Larkin, author of Samson & The Pirate Monks and good friend of the Catalyst Road Trip Team

Check out pictures from our day!  (and a quick shout out to Marty Hollman from MA...hope to see you soon!)

LV
on behalf of the Catalyst Road Trip Team

We have two new Vanagon Vagabonds joining me on our latest trip to the northeast...stay tuned for official introductions!  We are hitting the road tomorrow morning around 9AM EST and headed for Nashville, TN.  Our goal is to make it to Nashville, TN by 1PM so that we can meet Donald Miller and the RIDE:WELL BIKE TOUR.

If you find that our road trip itinerary takes us near your home, please don't hesitate to reach out.  We would love to say hi!  Tomorrow we will have new updates from the road!

LV
on behalf of the Catalyst Road Trip Team