Anyway, it has been an interesting week. About 5 years ago my wife and I began to have an interest in planting a church. If you don't know what this means, it is the starting of a church where there is presently no church; beginning from scratch to reach out with God's love and invite people to participate in what he is up to.
As many of you know we have pastored already existing churches for the past 4 years. These experiences have been both joy filled and pain filled. We made many mistakes and have seen many successes, but through it all this growing call to plant kept us uncomfortable where we were.
A few months ago we came to the point of our calling that we thought it was time to take a step of faith toward this growing desire to plant. We resigned our church in NC and in faith moved to Indianapolis IN, where we felt God was taking us to plant. We had no idea where I would work, where we would live, or what would happen. God came through on all of this and provided a way. And as many of you know I am now a Hospice Chaplain, which has given me the opportunity to grow in ministry in a different context.
As a part of this move, we also were deciding whether we were going to plant a church in our present denomination, The Wesleyan Church, or if we were going to do something different. Any of you who know me know that I am not a "denominational type of person", yet God had not released me from this organization. I had become rather discouraged with some aspects of the denomination and had all but decided about two weeks ago that I was going to go another way.
However, The Wesleyan church recognized our desire to plant a church and invested in us to send us to a church planter's asessment seminar. That is what we did this week. I went into this time knowing the call to plant that had been growing, and filled with some anxiety about other people, denomination officials, telling me that wasn't real or wasn't there. So, I was not totally looking forward to this past week. But felt strongly that although I felt I was probably done with the Denomination that I should still go to the assessment.
So, Tif and I went. We went through three days of exercises, assessing questions, team projects, individual projects and teaching on what it means to plant a church. And let me tell you, I am so glad that God knows more than me. It was quite frankly one of the best experiences I hae had in ministry. I was anxious that they would tell me I didn't have the right stuff, but what I forgot was that the same God that was welling up in Tif and I this call to plant is the same God that led these assessors to see that call.
God opened my eyes on some things.
- First, the call he has been growing in me is from him, and he is in control of it. He showed that call to those who assessed us, and they saw what he saw. the past year in ministry has been a difficult one, with many people throwing nothing but negativity and struggle our way. It felt nice to hear from someone else that I wasn't crazy, that this thing that was growing in me was real and it was from God.
- Second, God is still at work in a mighty way in The Wesleyan Church. Some of the things I was frustrated about are still there, but through this week I saw the heart of much of the leadership of the church, and it is a missional heart to reach the others with the news that God loves them and wants to remake them and the world. I am excited to say that although I am not totally assured of the future, I feel comfortable being a Wesleyan Pastor, and for now I have changed my mind to plant within the Wesleyan Church.
- Third, this calling is bigger than the Wesleyan Church, and it is bigger than me. I layed in bed the other night realizing what it means to plant a church, and I came to the conclusion that I can't do it. There is no way. The only way it can be done is if God does it. The call is there and the realization that I am 100% dependent on the calling one to do what he is asking.
- Fourth, I need others. I met a bunch of great people this week that Tif and I are going to rely on in this process. Church planting is too tough to do alone and I want people to help. We are beginning to pray that God would send us a group of people to begin this effort with. Pray with us. Pray about coming yourself. I know it sounds huge, but God is good and his call is good.
- Lastly, I am beginning to feel that I am who I was created to be. Have you been in situations that just didn't fit you? I have for the last few years. I am beginning to feel the freedom of living in what I was created for. We have just started, but it does feel good.
We were assessed and recommended to the district as immediately ready to plant a church. Is that awesome or what! God is good, and why I continue to doubt him I don't know. But there it is. We believe it could be on the West side of Indianapolis, maybe Avon, but we are not sure. There has to be some things worked out first. Even so, we are open to where ever God leads us. Will you be open to. Maybe you are called to come help. There is no greater joy than following the call of God on your life.
I will keep you updated on the next steps.
pax.
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