A night of smart, high-energy comedy is coming to North Village Church on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 6:00pm in Austin, TX. We are bringing together local and national talent for a cause that matters. All proceeds from the evening will support Mobile Loaves & Fishes, an Austin-based nonprofit committed to serving neighbors experiencing homelessness.
The show will be headlined by Donna Lee, whose sharp wit and crowd-warming charisma have made her a standout in clubs across the country. Joining her on the lineup:
The event will be held atNorth Village Church, offering a welcoming environment for an unforgettable community-centered night of laughter.
This show continues the growing tradition of Austin comics partnering with local organizations to bring joy, build community, and make a tangible difference for underserved neighbors.
Event Details: Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026 Time: 6:00pm Location: North Village Church, Austin, TX Benefiting: Mobile Loaves & Fishes
Building Resilience One Laugh, One Story, One Step at a Time
Let’s be honest: life can feel like a roller coaster you didn’t want to ride.
Some of us are raising teenagers, losing loved ones, trying to keep marriages alive, or just trying to get the dog to stop chewing Amazon boxes. (Why is cardboard the forbidden fruit for a dog?)
As a pastor for 25 years, a husband for 26 years, and a dad to two grown children, I’ve learned the hard way that life isn’t about avoiding the storm. It’s about learning how to dance in it, and sometimes laugh so hard you forget it’s raining.
That’s why I created the 5-Day Humor & Hope Challenge, a simple rhythm of encouragement to help real people (like you and me) build resilience through laughter, faith, and small honest steps.
If you’re tired, burned out, or just looking for something to lighten the load, this is for you.
Day 1: Own Your Mess—Then Laugh!
Let’s stop pretending we’ve got it all together. That’s exhausting. The truth is, some of your best moments, the things that bond you to other people, are the stories you’re tempted to hide.
Like the time I had to walk my mom (who had schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s) into her facility because we couldn’t provide care for her at our house. It was horrible. It was one of those moments where you curl up on the couch in the fetal position.
There wasn’t much in life that prepared me for those days. But laughter helped carry me through it.
Scripture:“A cheerful heart is good medicine…” (Proverbs 17:22) Action: Tell someone your funniest hard story this week. Let them laugh with you, not at you.
Day 2: Laugh WITH Your Spouse, Not AT Them
Marriage isn’t built on perfect communication or flawless date nights. It’s built on punchlines, patience, and being willing to forgive each other when you forget to cancel that Amazon order for the third time.
We’ve had seasons in our marriage where it felt like the only thing keeping us together was the mess—but laughing with your spouse is a real gift!
Scripture:“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7) Action: Think of one ridiculous memory that brought you closer. Text it to your spouse with a, “Can you believe we made it through that?”
Day 3: Give Grace to Your Family’s Weirdness
Every family is weird. Some are just better at hiding it.
But when you start giving grace instead of judgment, when you see your dad’s addiction or your mom’s mental illness through a lens of compassion, it opens the door for deeper healing and humor.
Resilience in families comes when we stop needing people to be perfect and start celebrating their progress.
Scripture:“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) Action: Say this prayer: “God, help me laugh more than I lecture today.” Then try it.
Day 4: Choose Hope When It Feels Optional
Hope isn’t passive, it’s practiced. It’s what you choose when you’ve buried people you love. It’s what you hold onto when you feel like giving up would be easier.
It’s not denial. It’s defiance against despair.
Scripture:“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19) Action: Write down one hard thing you’ve made it through. Title it: “I’m still standing.” That’s your reminder.
Day 5: Share What’s Real (Not Just What’s Right)
People aren’t looking for polished faith. They’re looking for honest hope.
You don’t have to be the expert. Just be someone who’s still in it. Still praying. Still messing up. Still laughing. Still standing.
Scripture:“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Action: Call or message someone and say, “Can I tell you something real?” Then do it. That’s how light gets in.
Final Thought: You’re Not Failing—You’re Building Resilience
If you made it through this blog, guess what? You’re doing better than you think.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep showing up, with a little more grace, a little more grit, and maybe a little more laughter.
And if you ever need someone to remind you that God still works through broken people with Costco outfits, I’m your guy.
If laughter is the best medicine, then our clean comedy show in January was the ultimate prescription for a night of pure joy! We kicked off the year with a packed house, an electric atmosphere, and a lineup of incredibly talented comedians who proved that you don’t need to be edgy to be hilarious.
From the moment the first joke landed, the room was filled with the kind of laughter that makes your sides hurt—in the best way possible! The comedians delivered punchlines that resonated with everyone, from young families to grandparents, all without a single awkward moment. It was proof that clean comedy isn’t just possible—it’s powerful, relatable, and downright fun. Here’s a recap video! (Click HERE)
But don’t just take our word for it! The feedback was overwhelming:
“It felt amazing to go to a comedy show where I could bring my kids and my parents and not worry about the content!”
“Who knew clean comedy could be this good?”
“This was my first clean comedy show, but it won’t be my last.
In addition, all the proceeds were committed to Love Justice International. We were able to donate $2,000 to Love Justice International! Love Justice International exists to end human trafficking around the world. Every dollar donated will be put saving lives!
But it’s not over! That’s right—if you missed January’s show, you’ve got another chance to experience the magic! Our next Clean Comedy Show is happening in May, and we’re pulling out all the stops to make it even better. Expect a fresh lineup of hilarious performers, brand-new material, and the same high-energy, family-friendly atmosphere that made January’s show such a hit.
So, whether you were there in January and can’t wait for more, or you’re ready to see what all the buzz is about, mark your calendars now! Stay tuned for ticket info and lineup announcements—this is one comedy night you won’t want to miss.
In 2022 I was sitting around with some friends around a campfire and said, “I am going to try to do an open mic.” Everyone in the circle laughed at that idea so I thought I was off to a great start! I’ve worked as a pastor for 25-years and during sermons I have found moments to involve humor but I started to think to myself, “Could I make strangers laugh?”
Creating laughter in a sermon isn’t that hard. Most people in attendance on a Sunday are there to learn about God through His Word, so if the pastor says something slightly funny you can get a pretty good laugh because they weren’t expecting you to be funny. But people show up at a comedy club to laugh and laugh quickly, so I thought trying an open mic in Austin, TX would be a good challenge.
Needless to say, all of 2022 came and went and I never made any progress on that open mic. In 2023 my friend asked me again, “Have you done the open mic?” I said, “What?” He said, “You said you wanted to do an open mic, you should give it a try.” I spent all of 2023 thinking about what I would say at an open mic. It’s harder than you might think. You have 3-4. You get up on a stage. Bright lights are shining in your face and the audience has this attitude like, “Say something funny.” It’s terrifying!
In January 2024 I visited three open mics in Austin, TX; Cap City Comedy Club, Creek and the Cave, and Comedy Mothership. If you don’t know, Joe Rogan moved to Austin in 2020 and opened up Comedy Mothership, so hundreds, maybe thousands of men and women have moved to Austin to try their hand at comedy, so there are plenty of opportunities.
In January 2024 I signed up at Cap City Comedy Club and the host called my name to the stage for me to deliver 4 minutes of what I had spent 12-months thinking about and trying to come up with something funny. It was a blur!
My wife was in the audience. You can go to my Instagram Page to see some of the clips but it was a complete blur. People will tell me that it’s easy for me to try stand up comedy because I am used to being on a stage as a pastor. It is familiar but preaching a sermon and doing stand up feels completely different.
When I was done I walked off the stage and told my wife, “I don’t ever want to do that again.” She said, “Great! You tried something new!” But by the time I got to my car I thought to myself, “I bet I could come up with something funnier.” The next week I signed up again, got picked and it went worse! Honestly, the most painful experience is to stand up in a room full of strangers and try really hard to say something you think is funny and they just sit in silence. It’s horrible!
But the same thing happened again. I got off the stage, regretted trying it again and by the time I got to my car I thought, “I bet I can figure this out.” Eventually through a conversation with another friend she encouraged me to talk about being a pastor. My first thought was, “I am never getting up in a room full of strangers and talk about being a pastor to be funny.” I didn’t want to make fun of my faith. I didn’t want to make fun of people in the room. I didn’t want to make fun of the church. But the next week I had a couple of ideas, so I signed up again, got picked again and actually got a few laughs.
Ever since then I have been trying to pull out the funny of being a pastor. Most people in Austin have never met a pastor and aren’t really sure what pastors do in their everyday lives, so it creates an opportunity for something interesting immediately.
The best part has been meeting the men and women who have moved to Austin to try stand up comedy. People are coming from all over the country and some from all over the world! It’s been pretty fun!
Right now my goal is to try an open mic once a week and try to keep coming up with ideas. 90% of the ideas aren’t funny but every once in a while I will hear a chuckle and it makes me want to keep trying. Along the way I get to talk about my faith with other comedians, answer questions about being a pastor and hopefully give people a different perspective on what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Most Common Questions:
Are you really a pastor? Most people think I am doing a bit as a “pastor.” Making fun of Christianity / religion is pretty common at an open mic, so most people aren’t sure what to think when I stand up and talk about being a pastor.
What made you want to try stand up comedy? I wanted to see if I could make strangers laugh. It’s pretty fun!
Are you just testing out material for your sermons on Sunday? I have tried ideas from Sunday at an open mic and I have tried ideas from an open mic on Sunday morning and so far they don’t work. I tend to keep them separate.
What makes you think you are funny? I don’t know. I like to laugh. I like to be around people who laugh.
What’s your dream for comedy? I am already living my dream. I get to work as a pastor talking to people about Jesus. Being able to earn the right to do that at a comedy club in Austin would just be a bonus!
How do you reconcile being a pastor at a comedy club where people are talking about things that are offensive? Open mics might be the greatest example of free speech! People say anything at an open mic and the more shock and awe in the joke creates tension and the more tension creates an opportunity for laughter. At this point, I try not to think too much about the content and instead appreciate the man or woman trying to craft something together that could be funny.
Anyone ever told you that you look and sound like Nate Bargatze? Yes! A lot! In 2015 I would have people come up to me after a sermon and say, “Have you heard of a comedian named Nate Bargatze?” I immediately became a fan of Nate Bargatze’s comedy! But I am not trying to look or sound like him. Technically, I am older than Nate, so he looks and sounds like me, just a lot funnier and talented!
Can pastors drink beer? I get this question pretty often because open mics are at clubs / bars and I want to support these locations making space for comedy so I will try to get a beer while I am there. God’s Word is actually neutral about alcohol. Sometimes alcohol is described as a blessing / celebration and sometimes alcohol is described as a curse / grief but drunkenness is clearly contrary to God’s Word.
Can I listen to any of your sermons? Sure! Here’s a link!
What kind of church do you pastor? It’s a non-denominational church. We are really big on Jesus and the Bible, so on Sundays I will teach through books of the Bible and try to go verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter.
Can I come to visit? This question is pretty common! Most comedians are out late on a Saturday, so to turn around and show up to a worship service on Sunday morning is a challenge but it’s been great to see new friends visit on a Sunday morning. Anyone is always invited to show up to a worship service on Sunday morning at 10:30am. We sing 3 songs, I teach for around 30 minutes and then we close with 2 more songs. We’re pretty casual, so just come in what’s comfortable for you!
Serving North Central Austin 