New Year, New Mission
I want to get the new year off to a proper start by sharing a little bit with you about what God has in store for me and my family 2009. Before I elaborate on this, I want to give you a little bit of my background. Some of it you know, but some will be new.
As many of you know, I went to college to study to become a pastor. After taking some preaching classes, it was abundantly clear to me and those who suffered through my sermons that my gift was not in preaching. Through this experience I came to realize that my future still lay in ministry, but not in a preaching pastoral role.
For the past ten or so years I have been working in various jobs knowing that full time ministry was in my distant future. Somewhere around five years ago I started feeling a weight on my shoulders. A weight is the best way I can describe it. It was this overwhelming sense that God had something for me to do. I did not know what or when, I just knew something was coming.
As time passed, the weight increased. In one sense, it was a bit frustrating. I was willing to do anything, I just did not know what God wanted me to do. About six months ago it was very intense.
I want to take a moment to clarify something. I am not one prone to mysticism. I look through the Bible and see certain men and women at certain times called out to a specific task for God. Besides those times, I believe these folks were free to live their lives as they wished as long as they were not violating scripture.
So all that said, the weight on me was very intense. So much so that I let a great real estate deal pass by so I could be ready to act, I knew I would find out soon what the task would be. As much as I hated to let that deal go, I had to be as unfettered as possible, and this property would not have allowed me this opportunity to focus.
Within two weeks of passing on this deal, I was meditating on some scripture when it came to me. It was totally unexpected. God wants my wife and I to start a Church. This is the last thing I would have thought God wanted. To be totally honest, I feel a bit like Moses. God, I can’t speak. However, I will move forward in faith.
From a different perspective, I also feel a bit like Abraham when God asked him to leave his home, but did not tell him where to go. I know I am supposed to start a church, but do not know where or how at this point.
Please do not misinterpret what I am saying:
- This is not my desire, it is God’s, you have to trust me on this one.
- This is not born out of dissatisfaction with our current church home, we love it at our church. We are getting more involved and have great relationships.
- I am both scared to death and very excited to serve God in this day.
Over the next months as we prepare for this, I will keep you all posted on the progress. The vision I have for how this Church will function I will lay out as well once they become a little more distilled in my head. All visions and plans will be fluid to the guiding of God.
As of right now, we are planning to attend a Church planters assessment next month. This assessment as far as I understand it is not intended to decide if you should plant a church, but to help you stategize in light of your skill sets and weaknesses. Obviously, I will know more after next month.
Other than that, it is just one step at time. I tried to cover everything here, but if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments, I would love to answer them.
