My Visit To Two Different Churches and Why I Liked Them Both

Kent Murawski

I spent a few days in Birmingham, Alabama to take some church planting training from the ARC (Association of Related Churches). During my time, I was able to visit two very influential but different churches. The first was, Church of the Highlands, with pastor and author Chris Hodges ( Fresh Air). The second was, The Church at Brook Hills, with pastor and author David Platt ( Radical) . Both churches are large (25,000 and 4000 respectively) and both pastors are very well known. I give you these facts just so you have a general idea about the two churches. The point of this blog is not to compare the two churches, the point is to share what I really liked about both experiences while drawing some conclusions from it; some personal and some corporate.

My experience at Church of the Highlands began with a traffic jam coming into the church. I had never seen anything like it – police, cones, and a line of cars at least ½ mile waiting to get into the church; and this was just at one campus. Church of the Highlands has 10 campuses in all. Needless to say, I was floored but maybe it was because I had never seen anything like this before. Of course large numbers don’t always mean God is present. That was yet to be seen. As soon as I walked into the worship experience, I could sense the presence of God and I instantly began to weep. I was weeping for several reasons, some of which I won’t elaborate on today. Let’s just leave it at this: God did a profound work in my heart that morning that has had lasting fruit. The Spirit of God was alive and vibrant throughout the worship experience. There was a genuine and authentic power and a charismatic feel to the experience without any flakiness. It was easy to recognize that they wanted to be intentional about honoring God while at the same time providing an “on- ramp” for those who were far from God. The message, taken from the book of Daniel, was powerful, poignant, timely and prophetic. I came away with some conviction and points for immediate application. At one hour and 15 minutes, it was a great experience that left me hungering for more. If I had any complaint it would be this – it’s hard to connect with people in that amount of time with thousands of people present, but I guess that’s to be expected in a church of that size. It’s a bit intimidating as a newcomer, but from what I hear, they do a good job at taking people on a path of discipleship and have many small groups to accommodate community and growth. Overall, it was a powerful experience from which I benefitted greatly.

Later that evening at 6pm, I attended The Church at Brook Hills. From my limited knowledge and research, they appear to be Southern Baptist and Reformed. Although the church itself was large and very nice, the service was fairly laid back with no frills. There was no unnecessary lighting, smoke or worship video loops. The songs focused around the cross and the gospel and the music was upbeat, passionate and Baptist.  By that I mean no lulls, spontaneity or prophetic moments. A few people raised their hands, some sang and many simply stood there looking up at the screens somewhat expressionless. David Platt did not preach that evening. It was another pastor preaching from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, one of my favorite passages and a foundational passage for Journey Church. At first I found his exposition somewhat dull and dry. He wasn’t a boring speaker, but there were no stories or illustrations to flesh it out, just pure, line-by-line, expository preaching. But as he continued, it grew on me. I found a joy and purity in the no frills gospel message coming through. At the end, there was a particularly poignant although lengthy segment where the pastor called up David Platt to elaborate on this point: rejoice in the message not the messenger. Although David Platt, who seems to be a humble man, was clearly uncomfortable with it, they encouraged their people not to embrace the cultural preacher/rock-star mentality that has crept into the Church in the United States. They clearly articulated the power of the gospel itself and their displeasure of this mentality within Jesus’ Church. The preacher made this powerful statement during that time, “The gospel does not increase in effectiveness and quality depending on the giftedness of the preacher.” Although they recognize that their pastor has been given a large platform, their desire is put the emphasis on the glory of God and discipling nations, not upon a personality. The preacher ended by encouraging the people to be thankful and honor their pastor, but not to over-emphasize his giftedness by falling prey to a cultural and unbiblical mentality, evidenced by 1 Corinthians 1:12

Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,*” or “I follow only Christ.” [1]

By the end of the message, I was built-up, encouraged and joy-filled.

In the end, both experiences solidified my belief that there is a need for many different kinds of churches because there are many different kinds of people. After all, as believers, we are a part of just one Church – the Church Jesus is building. In fact, I’m convinced that church without spot or wrinkle, referred to in Ephesians 5:27, is a “Church” (world-wide, all Christians) that’s in love with Jesus and unified with a mission : to reach and disciple every town, city, tribe, tongue, nation and people. I don’t believe God sees denominations. He sees whether or not we are have repented, acknowledged and received the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of His precious Son, Jesus. In the end, we (Christians) need one another. Not just on an individual level, but the Baptists need the Charismatic’s, the Charismatic’s need the Reformed church, Denominations need non-denominational churches, and so on. It’s not hard to argue that a spotless bride is one that’s not bickering over doctrine, but honestly discussing and processing their differences in order to move together in unity with a mission. I’m not saying that it will be easy to get to that point, I’m just saying it’s necessary.

This is a passion and a life calling for me: to help bring the body of Christ together for mission. I call it unity with a mission: to see the gospel of the kingdom preached in all the world as a witness to all nations (see Matthew 24:14). I think unity has to be focused around something bigger – a mission. How to do this is an entirely different story and I have very few answers. I do know this: it has to be a work of grace, a work of love, and a work of the Holy Spirit. It’s an impossible work, the kind that is right up Jesus’ alley.

Talking Points

I would love to hear your thoughts on this…



[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (1 Co 1:12). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

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3 Ways to Master Summer Without Burning Out

By Kent Murawski • July 28, 2025
When was the last time you ended a summer feeling more energized than when it started? ​​Summer brings changes for many of us—minimizing our motivation to work, disrupting work routines, and altering schedules. With summertime often comes a desire to slow down, and yet, we're not always sure how to do that. This week is my last new post for a little while (though I may resend some popular posts from the 2024-2025 season). I’m pressing pause to create space and pour my energy into finishing my new book. But stay tuned—when I’m back in six weeks, the newsletter will be refreshed with some exciting updates you won’t want to miss! Read to the end to find out more. In this week's edition of Catalyst, I want to share 3 ideas to help you effectively navigate summer. 3 Ways to Master Summer Without Burning Out 1) Stop and Think (Reflect) Socrates famously said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." For Socrates, life was more than pursuing the things that most men occupy themselves with, things like wealth, household affairs, status and position, and political clubs and factions. He believed that life only has value and meaning when we question what we think and know, and by more deeply understanding ourselves and others. The beginning of summer is an ideal time for reflection, and we all tend to occupy ourselves with the things Socrates talked about more than we probably care to admit. Taking a reflection day at the end of each quarter (consider removing "or trimester" for conciseness) can be an effective way to navigate seasonal changes. Finding a place far enough removed from your normal day-to-day life will help you get into a different headspace. A friend of mine often says: Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. I've used hotels, monasteries, or even a beautiful outdoor location if the weather permits. Here are a few questions you might want to ask: How am I feeling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically? How are my closest relationships doing? Am I living out my core values? Is my life moving in a direction I feel good about? What do I need to change or adjust? Here are a few ideas for how to conduct a reflection day: Prayer, meditation, or silence Review your biggest wins and assess your goals from the previous quarter Work on high-impact projects that require focus Preview the upcoming quarter and set your Big 3 goals: personal, marriage/family, work/business 2) Cut the Non-Essentials (Reevaluate) Both my wife and I work, so when summer arrives, we need to re-evaluate our schedules to accommodate our twelve-year-old son. In the past, I've made the mistake of trying to keep the same workload despite being home with him two days a week. I ended up frustrated all summer long, living in the tension of wanting to spend more time with him while trying to carry the same workload. Summer requires me to pare down my work roles to the essentials: Writing (currently working on a new book) Executive coaching (6-8 coaching clients) Relationship building and outreach Necessary administration (keeping this to 30% or less of my responsibilities) Moving forward, I will probably keep things this way. It feels more sustainable than the unrealistic expectations I previously held myself to. Once you define your key roles and responsibilities, the question becomes how to achieve better work-life integration not work-life balance. I use the Big 3 System. Choose only three big things to focus on at one time—quarterly, weekly, and daily. That's right, just three. Those three things are usually a combination of personal, marriage/family, and work. Each quarter, I typically choose 1 personal goal, 1 marriage and family goal, and 1-3 work goals, depending on the quarter. Here are a few questions to consider. If you have a partner, discuss them together: How does your schedule change in the summer? What work-related responsibilities and expectations do you need to adjust? What are 3 things you want to do this summer? What do you NOT want to do? 3) Choose What Matters Most (Rest) Paring down expectations isn't only for work, it applies to rest, too. Because it's summer, there is the temptation to want to fit in everything (—vacation, visit family, trips, fun, etc). In the past, we would try to do so much that by the time fall rolled around, we were exhausted. Last year, out of necessity, we planned a staycation instead of going away. It was one of the best vacations we've had in a long time. And besides, summers in New England are gorgeous! We went to see a movie, ate out, went to Six Flags, had a beach day, and took days in between just to relax. We loved it so much, we're doing a staycation again this year! Write down your list of summer expectations and plans. Now, cross out everything that feels exhausting and unfun. Don't try to fit everything in this summer. Pick a couple of things that feel life-giving and focus on those. Your Move Reflect. Re-evaluate. Rest. Choose one of the three and work on it in the next 24 hours. Plan a day of reflection. Have a conversation with your spouse. Choose how you're going to rest this summer. I don't care which one it is, just take action. Here’s one question to consider: What would you stop doing this summer if no one was watching? Most people think summer is about maximizing experiences and fitting everything in, but the truth is that the most productive leaders use summer to strategically subtract, not add. They understand that rest isn't what you do after the work is done—it's what makes the work sustainable in the first place. You've got this.

Why you're exhausted before fall even arrives...

By Kent Murawski • July 23, 2025
When was the last time you ended a summer feeling more energized than when it started? ​​Summer brings changes for many of us—minimizing our motivation to work, disrupting work routines, and altering schedules. With summertime often comes a desire to slow down, and yet, we're not always sure how to do that. This week is my last new post for a little while (though I may resend some popular posts from the 2024-2025 season). I’m pressing pause to create space and pour my energy into finishing my new book. But stay tuned—when I’m back in six weeks, the newsletter will be refreshed with some exciting updates you won’t want to miss! Read to the end to find out more. In this week's edition of Catalyst, I want to share 3 ideas to help you effectively navigate summer. 3 Ways to Master Summer Without Burning Out 1) Stop and Think (Reflect) Socrates famously said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." For Socrates, life was more than pursuing the things that most men occupy themselves with, things like wealth, household affairs, status and position, and political clubs and factions. He believed that life only has value and meaning when we question what we think and know, and by more deeply understanding ourselves and others. The beginning of summer is an ideal time for reflection, and we all tend to occupy ourselves with the things Socrates talked about more than we probably care to admit. Taking a reflection day at the end of each quarter (consider removing "or trimester" for conciseness) can be an effective way to navigate seasonal changes. Finding a place far enough removed from your normal day-to-day life will help you get into a different headspace. A friend of mine often says: Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. I've used hotels, monasteries, or even a beautiful outdoor location if the weather permits. Here are a few questions you might want to ask: How am I feeling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically? How are my closest relationships doing? Am I living out my core values? Is my life moving in a direction I feel good about? What do I need to change or adjust? Here are a few ideas for how to conduct a reflection day: Prayer, meditation, or silence Review your biggest wins and assess your goals from the previous quarter Work on high-impact projects that require focus Preview the upcoming quarter and set your Big 3 goals: personal, marriage/family, work/business 2) Cut the Non-Essentials (Reevaluate) Both my wife and I work, so when summer arrives, we need to re-evaluate our schedules to accommodate our twelve-year-old son. In the past, I've made the mistake of trying to keep the same workload despite being home with him two days a week. I ended up frustrated all summer long, living in the tension of wanting to spend more time with him while trying to carry the same workload. Summer requires me to pare down my work roles to the essentials: Writing (currently working on a new book) Executive coaching (6-8 coaching clients) Relationship building and outreach Necessary administration (keeping this to 30% or less of my responsibilities) Moving forward, I will probably keep things this way. It feels more sustainable than the unrealistic expectations I previously held myself to. Once you define your key roles and responsibilities, the question becomes how to achieve better work-life integration not work-life balance. I use the Big 3 System. Choose only three big things to focus on at one time—quarterly, weekly, and daily. That's right, just three. Those three things are usually a combination of personal, marriage/family, and work. Each quarter, I typically choose 1 personal goal, 1 marriage and family goal, and 1-3 work goals, depending on the quarter. Here are a few questions to consider. If you have a partner, discuss them together: How does your schedule change in the summer? What work-related responsibilities and expectations do you need to adjust? What are 3 things you want to do this summer? What do you NOT want to do? 3) Choose What Matters Most (Rest) Paring down expectations isn't only for work, it applies to rest, too. Because it's summer, there is the temptation to want to fit in everything (—vacation, visit family, trips, fun, etc). In the past, we would try to do so much that by the time fall rolled around, we were exhausted. Last year, out of necessity, we planned a staycation instead of going away. It was one of the best vacations we've had in a long time. And besides, summers in New England are gorgeous! We went to see a movie, ate out, went to Six Flags, had a beach day, and took days in between just to relax. We loved it so much, we're doing a staycation again this year! Write down your list of summer expectations and plans. Now, cross out everything that feels exhausting and unfun. Don't try to fit everything in this summer. Pick a couple of things that feel life-giving and focus on those. Your Move Reflect. Re-evaluate. Rest. Choose one of the three and work on it in the next 24 hours. Plan a day of reflection. Have a conversation with your spouse. Choose how you're going to rest this summer. I don't care which one it is, just take action. Here’s one question to consider: What would you stop doing this summer if no one was watching? Most people think summer is about maximizing experiences and fitting everything in, but the truth is that the most productive leaders use summer to strategically subtract, not add. They understand that rest isn't what you do after the work is done—it's what makes the work sustainable in the first place. You've got this.

Crisis Creates Clarity

By Kent Murawski • May 26, 2025
“Should I end this?” were the last words I said before collapsing to the ground in excruciating pain. The only thing I ended that day was my basketball career ⛹️! On Sunday, May 18, 2025, I ruptured my patella tendon playing basketball with my boys. We were playing a game of P.I.G., and it was […]

‘When You Hurry, You No Longer Care’: A Wake-Up Call from the Monastery

By Kent Murawski • May 16, 2025
“You’re not going to become a monk, are you?”  My wife asked me this after I excitedly returned from a week-long retreat to a Trappist monastery and my growing fascination with monastic rhythms.  The obvious answer is no, since I’m neither single nor celibate It began the previous week when my twelve-year-old son and I […]

The View from 50

By Kent Murawski • May 7, 2025
I always thought the big decisions were what shaped my life trajectory, but my 50th birthday celebration revealed something way more interesting—it’s actually the tiny, everyday choices that determine where you ultimately end up. It was the most meaningful birthday I’ve ever had.  Fair warning, this is a long one, but it will be worth […]

The Productive Power of Strategic Pauses

By Kent Murawski • March 19, 2025
Your capacity to recognize when to pause may be more valuable than knowing when to push. Lately, I haven’t had anything to write, which is a rare occurrence. Sure, I could try to pound something out or pull some unused content out of the archives (which I have tons of), but here’s what I’ve discovered: […]

How Are You? (The Success Predictor)

By Kent Murawski • March 6, 2025
How are you? Your answer to this question reveals more about your future success and well-being than any strategic plan. We often wear busyness as a badge of honor. Ask ten people how they are doing, and nine out of ten times the answer will be, “busy.” That’s not the way things ought to be. […]

The Hidden Cost of Being Too Hard On Yourself

By Kent Murawski • January 30, 2025
The weight of unrealistic self-expectations can feel crushing, especially at the start of a new year. January is not even over, and I’m already feeling overwhelmed.  It’s often said that we can be our own worst bosses or that the most challenging person to lead is the person in the mirror.  What do you do […]

The Missed Opportunity in Failed Dreams

By Kent Murawski • January 16, 2025
Failed dreams can become your greatest victories. While dreams are essential for hope and growth, unfulfilled dreams can breed disillusionment. Yet what appears to be a “failed” dream often reveals itself as an opportunity. Barbara Corcoran, the renowned Shark Tank Investor, once said, “All my best successes came on the heels of failure.” This wisdom […]

Less Is More (Why Resolutions Don’t Work)

By Kent Murawski • January 4, 2025
Did you know that 92% of people give up on their goals by January 12th? Pretty shocking, right? I used to be part of that statistic. Every year, I’d write down my goals with excitement, only to find them collecting dust by February. It was frustrating and, honestly, a bit embarrassing. But then I discovered […]