Dino Visits South Bend

I had the chance to have dinner last night with Dino Rizzo, the lead pastor of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He and Marc Cleary, one of the other pastors on Dino’s team, are in town for the Notre Dame game this weekend. (Go Irish!) Here are a few random observations and learnings from our conversation last night:

• HPC is offering ministry and services using a multi-site strategy. One of those sites is Spanish-speaking. They’re also praying about a new campus in Mozambique.
• Dino relayed that very little has changed in the areas of New Orleans that were most impacted by Katrina. The devastation is still very evident. Fortunately, it’s very easy now for churches to offer ministry in the region.
• Dino shared about a great project that Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY recently completed. Church members built walls for 32 houses in the church parking lot. Then those walls were trucked to New Orleans to be assembled–a couple of them by Southeast volunteers.
• HPC is in the middle of a stewardship campaign which they’re praying will increase the seating on their Highland campus from 1,200 to 3,600. It sounds like a very ambitious project.
• Dino likes Buffalo Wild Wings, but, as far as I can tell, this Dino can’t play the piano like the other Dino.
• It sounds like watching a game at Notre Dame stadium is a lot more civilized than being in the stadium to watch LSU. Not sure if that’s good or bad.