I am in a phase of life right now that a year ago (for reference point) I could have never imagined. Four & a half months ago our oldest son, Jaret, was killed in a car accident. We later put our home up for sale, concluding through family discussions & prayer times that moving would help in the healing process. The plan was to rent somewhere near our current location - and we had found a place we wanted to rent. (Thankfully that didn't work - a story for another day). And a little over two weeks ago, it came to be through a conversation with my leadership that a new ministry opportunity would be in the best interest of myself and the congregation I serve. Sounds simple, right??...
When faced with life's challenges, we are left with choices... Not just decisions about what to do, where to go, and when to do so. No, it's deeper than that... We are also challenged by the ATTITUDE in which we face them! If we are doing life with God's intentions for us at the forefront of all we do, one thing becomes clear: CHANGE is inevitable! Not just change for the sake of change itself, but change that comes with a DEEPER PURPOSE. A GOD-DEFINED purpose...
I've been ministering with my congregation, Brooksville Christian Church, for nearly 12 years. Serving this long in one location has taught me many life lessons: maturity, growth in God's Word, endurance, wisdom, prayer, understanding people...and the list goes on. I have done many positive things here over the years. I've made a number of mistakes as well. And though it's hard for some to accept, it's time for a CHANGE in my life. Not a knee-jerk reaction to what has happened with our son. No, this was in the works for quite some time - it's just that nobody knew. Myself included...
Back in late 2014, I remember sitting down with a blank piece of notebook paper... I started sketching out potential ideas for my ministry plans at BCC. I didn't want to become stagnant - going through the motions. I also knew then the church needed a spark of life. That we would need fresh ideas - we needed God to show up. In short: I knew that 2015 was going to be a key year which would serve to be critical to my future ministry with BCC. I also knew in my heart that as 2015 was drawing to a close, well before Jaret's death in December, that a potential ministry relocation was a possibility. It was becoming clear the time for something new was needed... Things were happening that drew me to conclusions that a potential ministry change would be inevitable. But like Nehemiah scanning the rubble under the cover of darkness, I kept those thoughts largely to myself. My wife, Kristi, knew. Jaret knew. But I didn't say much to anyone else because there was still much I wanted to see unfold. This was not going to be my plan - it would be GOD'S plan. And that is often hard to decipher, isn't it??...
I made a decision that, at the time, I didn't understand the ramifications of. On April 5th, I shared in a private Facebook group of Independent Christian Church ministers (and families) a post... I asked for prayer. And I did so for a couple reasons: 1) because of the challenge our family had faced in the death of our son months ago (asking for prayer is a good thing, right?!), and 2) to ask if anyone could share potential ministry openings on our behalf. And that is when things went into motion...things I didn't know about behind the scenes...
That afternoon I received a phone call from a man named Kirk. My name had been given to him by another man I did not know, Chuck. We finally had an opportunity to speak that day - I immediately felt a connection to Kirk. His kindness and understanding was clear. A week later, an interview was set up for me to speak with the search team at the First Christian Church in Shelbina, Missouri. I had prayed about this. I had discussions with Kristi and the kids. I did my research. I prepared myself for potential aspects of our discussion. I knew this COULD be the beginning of a crazy ride... In short, I wanted this to be a "GOD-MOMENT" - that if anything were to happen, it's because HE was going to put it together...
In less than a half-hour following the interview, Kirk sent me a text... The search team wanted us to come to Missouri. I was blown away - deeply humbled. I enjoyed the conversation that night, sent a follow-up email with some added details I thought might be helpful to them. But I didn't expect such a quick response. And over the course of the last week or so, I've had an opportunity to get to know some of their people through Facebook postings, private messages, and phone calls. I've had other conversations that have been extremely positive and helpful. One thing seems to becoming clear: GOD has His fingerprints all over this...
On May 6-9 we will be traveling to be with them. I am honored and humbled by this... Our family is truly excited. We love our BCC church family - but we also know that CHANGE is a part of the process of life... God always has His chosen people on the move - literally & figuratively. We are grateful for the love shown to us - by those in Shelbina, and by the understanding of our church family in Brooksville. We do not want this process to be ugly or painful...we'd rather see this as a movement of God. And when that becomes clear, it's hard for any of us to deny this is THE right thing to do. Sometimes...sometimes, His will for our lives - well, it just becomes clear. When all of us see that - it's a beautiful thing...
We know there is more to the process of all of this coming together. We're just going to go to Missouri in a couple weeks and enjoy the moments. We'll let God sort out the rest of the details, and if this is to be finalized. My family and I have been through a lot in the last four-plus months. A trip to Missouri?? That's pretty simple when compared to the rest... We've trusted HIM this far ---- we'll just continue to let HIM put together the rest... We trust Him, because of this:
"And we know that in ALL THINGS (emphasis mine) God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
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