54 Holes Complete!

My ball ended up in this stuff… a lot!

We did it! We finished three full rounds of golf on Tuesday and it was a wonderful time! My buddy Dave flew in on Monday and we went down to Tijuana for a wonderful welcome BBQ for all 30 golfers. Then on Tuesday we were up at 4:45 am for a quick coffee and breakfast before the 30 minute drive to Bajamar Ocean Front Golf Course near Ensenada, Mexico.

Gorgeous Day

Dave and I along with James from YWAM Endless Summer and Alejandro from YWAM San Antonio Del Mar started on the 7th hole… My first shot went out of bounds, but Dave was in the groove from the get go and hit the fairway. We had some nice cloud cover to start the day, and by 9:00 the sun was out, and there was a nice breeze blowing.

Lost Lots of Balls

I’m glad I thought to grab another box of balls at Costco on Friday last week — because I used *all of them* on Tuesday! I didn’t keep a count of lost balls, but I was pretty rusty the first few holes. I warmed up and got better.

Wonderful Friends

I’ve known Dave for 25+ years. He and his wife are our kids’ God Parents and I’m so glad he came. Of course I was glad that he’s a great golfer, haha, but I loved being able to spend the whole (and I mean 12 hours plus!) day with him on the course. James from YWAM Endless Summer is a good friend too. I’ve been able to speak in the Discipleship Training Schools that he runs in Carlsbad. He’s got a great sense of humor, and even though he’s only golfed a few times, he contributed some great shots for our team. Alejandro is from Chile and has been on our staff in Mexico for many years. He’s a genius — speaks multiple languages, and has a great sense of humor. Tuesday was his first day of golf… and he’d just flown in from Korea the night before! The first round was rough for him, but he improved quickly. He turned out to be a clutch putter for us and saved several pars and got us a few birdies too!

Great Results

Our team did great — we shot a 67, a 69, and another 69 which turned out to be good enough to tie for second place. The format was a best ball scramble. We played from the white tee box and we were given a few strokes on the hardest holes. I’m proud that several of my shots were the best, and I even sunk a 25+ foot putt for birdie on hole 7 of the third round. (Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while!) I came within 12’ 6” of the cup on hole number 9, but I wasn’t anywhere near Johnny Broersma’s shot — he came within five feet!

A big thank you goes out to my man Pete who not only gave me this lob wedge, but has taught me how to use it!

So Much Gratitude

All day, I felt so much gratitude for the beautiful day, the friends I got to play with, for Sean Lambert and the crew who hosted this event, and especially for the many who gave to support me and my fellow missionaries. I didn’t quite reach my goal, but I’m well set up for the master’s program. All together, the 30 golfers raised more than $220,000! These funds will go to support missionary families, including one of our staff who is building his own home for his family. Additionally, funds were raised to build homes in Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Mexico and elsewhere. God is a wonderful Father who provides for us all!

My putting… well, I had good lines, but was often too short, haha!

Thank you to everyone who prayed, gave, and golfed.

You’re Invited Next Year!

Dave and I are already planning to do this again next year, and I’d love for you to consider joining us. If you’re interested, please reach out to me! Thank you again!

Peace, Love, Prayers,

Craig

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Click the link below if you’d like to send me to the University of the Nations Master’s in Christian Formation program, or if you’d like to see how much money was raised.

A Quick Trip to Kona

I had the privilege of traveling to Kona, Hawaii last week with my boss and dear friend, Sean Lambert. Before you get the wrong idea, I need to tell you I didn’t see perfect beaches nor did I enjoy any mai tais —this was a work trip. In the five days I was gone, I think I spent approximately an hour on tourist stuff, haha!

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I’m not going to tell you why I was in Hawaii just yet. A few things need to unfold first. Be sure though, sometime in the new year I will share with you more.

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But I am going to tell you where we worked

I wish I knew who created this… I’d love to give them credit!

For the first time, I got to go to King’s Mansion. This is a YWAM property that has been written about in YWAM’s foundational story, Is That Really You, God?, by Loren Cunningham. Let me tell you what I learned while I was there.

In 1973, a group of YWAM students were praying for YWAM to be established on the island. One person saw, “a big white house on a hill with a veranda and green shutters”. This turned out to be the Hawaiian plantation style home of the Greenwell family who had a long history in Kona. It was built in 1903 and in March 1977 the Greenwells sold the home and its six acres to YWAM. The YWAMers dedicated it to the Lord, and King’s Mansion became the first property owned by the mission anywhere in the Pacific and Asia. Over the next decades, more than 80 Discipleship Training Schools were held. An estimated 4,000 young people were trained for mission work around the world.

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Since 2002, Loren and Darlene Cunningham have stewarded the property. New ministries such as ywamconnect.net (a global Internet community), 4K (a new framework for strategic completion of the Great Commission), a global literacy project, and more have been launched from here. And soon I can tell you about one more fun project that was started here… ;-)

More recently, King's Mansion has been undergoing much-needed renovation and expansion to prepare it to host the future vision as a gathering place for global leaders.…

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Sean and I met with a few others here and let me tell you, the place is full of beauty. The grounds of course are lush and green. It’s up the hill a bit, which means it catches the breeze and the views are gorgeous. We met for prayer and devotions each morning in the main floor living space. It’s full of maps and cultural treasures that the Cunninghams have been given over the years. We worked in a  conference room on the main floor. We had breaks and lunches on the incredible lanai. I was given a guided tour of the upstairs bedrooms, bathrooms and work spaces. I’m told that renovations are near complete, and that they are awaiting the occupancy certificate.

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Loren Loved Ice Cream and So Do We!

I only spilled a little ice cream on my shirt…

Loren’s gravesite is across the street in a small cemetery. On our last day together, it was my privilege to honor him with his wife Dar, my boss Sean, and the rest of the crew by enjoying an ice cream together.

A Tamarisk Tree and a Master’s Degree

Tamarisk Seedling created with Adobe Firefly

A few years ago I saw a video by Ray Vander Laan called “The Tree”.

Here’s my edit of ChatGPT’s one paragraph summary:

In The Tree, Ray Vander Laan takes us to Genesis 21 and describes how Abraham planted a tamarisk tree. For us, this seems like an insignificant detail, but it was a profound moment for Abraham. His son Isaac had just been born. He was the child of God’s promise. Vander Laan explains that a tamarisk tree is the slowest growing of the desert trees. It requires years of care before it provides its greatest benefit—shade. The person who plants it will not live long enough to enjoy it. Abraham planted the tree immediately after God reaffirmed His covenant, demonstrating that he trusted God’s promises so completely that he invested in a future he would not personally see. Abraham chose to live to bless future generations rather than seek immediate rewards.

Planting a Tree for the Future

I see this Masters program as a kind of tamarisk tree. I am making an investment that will influence future generations. Even though I’m an older student, I want to use the time I have to invest in the future. This program will change me and enable me to better walk with young people and help them become disciples who make more disciples. Reading the books, writing the papers, and participating in the intensives are to me, enduring acts of faith.

Will You Join Me?

I’m raising $25,000 USD for tuition, fees, and travel expenses. Your gift in any amount makes us partners in a lasting spiritual legacy. Click the link below to go to YWAM San Diego/Baja’s Giving Fuel page to make a donation.

While the episode, The Tree, is not available online for free, you can still get a taste of Vander Laan’s teaching. Focus on the Family has posted two episodes from the same series here. I highly recommend!

The Jesus Journey Logo Mark

Early JJ Mark in Sketchbook

As you’ll recall, I’ve been developing marketing materials for the Jesus Journey course that’s under development.

The Letter J

Right away I started to play with the letter ‘J’. I looked at lots and lots of fonts:

As I looked, I kept thinking about Isaiah 53

“His servant grew up like a tender young plant.
He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground.
He didn’t have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him.
There wasn’t anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him”

— Isaiah 53:2 (NIRV)

I realized I was looking for something normal, something human, something beautiful because it was simple. I wanted the logo and the lettering to be relatable, not too formal, not too fancy. I ruled out scripts. I ruled out trendy fonts. I looked for something solid and sturdy that I could build a mark out of… 

I landed on Barlow. It’s simple, solid, and sturdy looking. I liked the ‘J’. The tail of it curves straight up. The corners of it are very subtly rounded.

At this point, I will often go through dozens and dozens of iterations before landing on something I think is working. But with this mark, things came together rather quickly. I think in part because that initial sketch feels fairly complete.

Here’s what I came up with:

As I worked and reflected on the mark, I began to see quite a bit of symbolism:

The ‘JJ’ Symbol

• Built using the ‘J’ from logotype

• Bold thick lines

• Added crossbar to ‘J’ for a sense of motion and visual interest

The Square Holding Shape

• Bold thick lines

• Solid, sturdy shape to emphasize Jesus’ corporeal reality, His humanity, & the significance of who He is

A Fishhook

• The ‘JJ’ symbol reflects the shape of a fishhook

• Symbolic suggestion of becoming ‘fishers of men’

An Anchor

The ‘JJ’ symbol reflects the shape of an anchor

• Symbolic suggestion of trustworthiness, security, and safety, going deep

A Mirror

• The first ‘J’ is reflected

• Symbolic suggestion of expressing christlikeness and imaging God

When I showed this mark to the team that is creating the curriculum, they immediately ‘got it’. They’ve already asked for final versions so they can begin using it.

Soonish I’ll post more… There are colors and other elements to talk about!

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The Path that Leads to Life

I Gave the Message at Create Church on Sunday, July 12, 2026. The text is Proverbs 4:20-27

It was super fun to give the talk at Create Church this week. I loved preparing. And I enjoyed being able to give a little context about Proverbs as part of the message. I got a lot of great feedback from the folks who were there. I hope you enjoy, are encouraged, and that you take up the Proverbs Challenge!

Eagle-eyed viewers will spot Levi’s Mission to Pluto Moonswatch on my wrist. I’m so glad I have this reminder of him. Of course, I wish he could have been there with me, but I’m grateful.

(Also, I have no idea what happened with the audio… somehow music got recorded behind me speaking while filming. Don’t worry tho, it goes away after a few minutes. The tech folks from Create apologize, haha!)

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Give Through

In a Few Months I’ll Start a Masters in Christian Formation

This is a two year journey that will help me to grow. I anticipate expenses up to $25,000 USD

Give Through

One of the reasons why I’m taking this course is to be more fruitful. I want to be more useful for the students and staff that I serve. And when you give, you give through me. You give through to the people I will serve. You give to students who are becoming missionaries. You give through to people who are serving others. And together we participate in serving the poor, the lost, and the least. Ultimately, we serve Jesus Himself.

A Book of My Notes for You

I’ll send you a copy of My Notes from Practicing the Way of Jesus with Paul the Apostle with your gift of $250 or more. This is the book of the notes I took during the seminar we attended in Switzerland last year. Inside are 200+ pages that will give you insight into what I’ll be studying in the Masters program.

I’m quite proud of the way the book turned out. The notes are an accurate reflection of the seminar, and it is a beautiful object. I thought deeply how to organize all the content. I chose the type and spent time setting it just right. I spent a lot of hours creating that bibliography. I hope that you find it inspiring in your own walk with Jesus.

Click the link below to go to YWAM San Diego/Baja’s GivingFuel page to make a donation for this program. A gift in any amount is welcome.

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Five Books for the Jesus Journey

The curriculum for the Jesus Journey School is inspired by these five books. Kay Charlotte and I read N.T. Wright’s Paul: A Biography last summer. So a month or so ago, I ordered up the other four and got down to reading. Here are a few thoughts from each of them.

These Five Books Are Shaping the Upcoming Jesus Journey School

Jesus Journey by Trent Sheppard

Sheppard focuses on Jesus’ humanity in this book. I’ve talked a lot about Jesus’ human nature in the classes I’ve taught, and I found this book to be so inspiring, and challenging, and funny! A favorite quote for me is:

“In my own journey with Jesus, there has been no greater motivation for my faith than the deep, dawning realization that God is one of us. More (fare more!) than the hope of heaven or the fear of hell, it is this bedrock belief—that we have seen the face of God in Jesus—that inspires and informs my faith.”

Bonus: I met Trent in the early 2000’s when we invited him to speak to our Mission Adventures staff and leaders at our MA Waves Gathering at YWAM Chico. I loved his passion for Jesus then, and I love his book now!

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The Ninefold Path of Jesus by Mark Scandrette

This one focuses on the nine beatitudes in Jesus’ sermon on the Mount. Scandrette casts theseas common struggles all humans face. Towards the end of the book, he shows how all nine can be part of our growth towards Christlikeness:

“What if the Beatitudes map a progressive journey of spiritual development? First, trust the Creator's care. Then, lament what is broken and wait for divine comfort. Affirm your inherent dignity and worth. Embrace your agency and power. Receive mercy and respond with compassion. Tell the truth and live whole-heartedly. Reach past differences to find common ground. And then surrender to suffering. The order is important. Only after you can affirm these realities can you confidently resist evil through nonviolence. The surrender response must come from a place of strength, confidence, and courage.”

Bonus: I worked at YWAM Los Angeles with Mark’s sister, Jen. On a trip to the Bay Area, we were able to meet with Mark in his home for a few hours — he’s such a kind example of who Jesus is.

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Know the Real Jesus by Alexander Venter

Venter has us look at Jesus through the historian’s lens. He combines historical research with biblical scholarship. This one started rather ‘thick’ with lots of technical terms and references to the long history of Jesus research. Although it was sometimes challenging, I found so much gold. For example, this nugget about Jesus’ parentage:

“…Jesus was 'the mamzer Nazareth'. [Mamzer is Hebrew for ‘bastard’]. The charge that he was illegitimately conceived plagues him all his life, even far from his hometown, evident in the disputes in Jerusalem during his ministry. When Jesus spoke of God as his father, Pharisees challenged him (John 8:19,41,48,53): "where is your father?... we are not illegitimate children (mamzers)... Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed? Who do you think you are?" They saw him as a Samaritan half-breed due to mother's 'fornication'. Even in his village of Nazareth, he was known as "Mary's son", not Joseph's son (Mark 6:3).”

Ouch — I never read those passages as such personal attacks on Jesus by the Pharisees. Thankfully, Jesus knew His identity and endured this and so much more.

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Bearing God’s Name by Carmen Joy Imes

I think this book might be my favorite of this bunch. That subtitle, “Why Sinai Still Matters”, hints at how understanding the Old Testament, (or ‘Original Testament’ as one of my pastors likes to say) is critical for us to understand the New. Imes points out that many of us modern Christians have ‘unhitched’ the Old Testament from our faith. She writes,

“Rather than unhitching, I want to make the case that we should re-hitch to Israel’s Scriptures so that we can truly understand who Jesus is and what he came to do.“

She sets the Old Testament scriptures in context and helps us better understand what it means to bear the name of God in our humanity.

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Paul: A Biography by N.T. Wright

You know, finding a quote from each of these books sounded easy when I started. But I’m seeing that there’s just so much to choose from. If you were to hold my copies in your hands, you would see that I underline and highlight a lot. But one of my favorite lines is:

‘Saul had his feet on the ground, and his hands were hardened with labor. But his head still buzzed with scripture and the news about Jesus.’

This book shows me that Paul wasn’t a distant theologian but a hardworking, deeply human man who was completely captured by what God had done in Christ. He was convinced Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection had changed the world and he was willing to pay any price to help people understand and know Him.

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