With the Fall comes many changes for me as well. I'm a husband, first and foremost. What a change! I couldn't even imagine what that would be like a year ago. Now, I wouldn't want it any other way. I love it. For those of you who have kept in touch with us, you know Leslie and I have had quite the start to our young marriage. With that, as the leader of my home, I was faced with some huge situations and circumstances that tested my leadership. I made it through those situations well, I think, (you can see more about it below), but it gave me time to have perspective on a lot of things I was not able to think clearly about before. After much thought, prayer, and counsel, Leslie and I have made the decision to step back from our leadership roles at Midtown Community Church, effective immediately. The details are laid out and explained better below, in a portion of a letter which I sent to a majority of my financial and prayer supporters by email last week. So, as opposed to writing it all again, please read the letter below. Leslie and I are doing well, and God is moving in our lives in some great ways. We are learning a whole lot! So there is no cause for alarm. As the leader in my home, I feel what is laid out below is going to be the best for our marriage overall. We are excited for our new marriage, and making Christ the center of our marriage. Thanks for your prayers and love.
Dear Financial and Prayer Supporters,
I wanted to write you personally and give you a quick update of the progress of Midtown Community Church, as well as our lives. First, Midtown Community Church is growing closer to launching weekly services. We will begin a series of three preview services next Sunday, September 19th. We will then hold our launch service Sunday, October 10th. Launch team members are working hard at preparing our meeting space with sound equipment, etc for that time. It is an exciting time in the life of our church. Our website is being updated. Goto www.midtownchurchkc.com for more info on current things. We are excited to see our church impact our community, all for the glory of God.
Parallel to this, exciting, yet some changing times are here for Leslie and I. Leslie and I have been married for a little over 40 days, and boy, have we had a mountain to climb in the beginning. In case you were not aware, we found out on our second day of the honeymoon that Leslie's father was found dead in his apartment. That news, on our honeymoon, sent shock waves obviously through us. August was a rollercoaster month of emotions, etc. We have arrived back to Kansas City, and are trying to get our heads back into the swing of beginning a new marriage together, trying to work through Leslie's father's death, her working a very time consuming job, me working multiple jobs at all differing times, trying to help pastor a church, and trying to nuture a marriage which is in an incubation time right now, with many new and exciting things being put upon our hearts...WHEW! That's alot.
The short of it is, as the leader of my marriage and family, I feel if we don't make some changes soon, we are going to put our marriage in jeopardy. Many days, the way our work schedules fall, for example, I don't see my wife until late into the evening. This affects alot of the foundation building a marriage needs in its beginning.
Leslie and I have three criteria for which we are working from right now:
Three Criteria
1) A unified heart
We believe we need to nuture our marriage and grow a unified heart. This includes me being available to help my wife work through her fathers death, as well as build a foundation that we only have one shot at in the beginning of our marriage. Many men in my life have all told me the same thing-that the first six-twelve months of your marriage will affect alot of the areas of your marriage for years to come. I take that seriously, and thus put it at high importance. I cannot, and I will not, compromise my marriage, even in doing other "good" things. Leslie and I are both so scattered, simply from what our day to day looks like, that continuing in this direction is not healthy.
2) Practical Change
We believe we have to do something as far as our jobs, and more day to day what we look like, in order to better give a foundation to our marriage and life, especially where we find ourselves currently. This also has to happen for us so that we are simply not exhausted when we approach these times. We can see the affects heavily waying on us right now.
3) Stirrings
With everything else going on, we believe that many things are stirring in both of our hearts as far as future ministry together, as well as the direction we want to go in our family, etc. Now hear me: We have no opportunities currently, nor do we have an idea of what this even looks like. I do know, however, that God has really given me a heart for pastoral care type ministry, and I've known it for a long time. I think I realize how much of a heart I have for it, in that I work for theRonald McDonald House Charities right now, and get to meet alot of people in times of tragedy and grief. In these times, while always hard, I thrive, and see my heart become passionate for those types of ministry and situations. Just a few weeks ago, I had a pastor friend call me from another part of the state, asking me to go visit a teenager from their church at Children's Mercy Hospital here in KC because they were not able to get up here to do it. I was OVERJOYED with the phone call. The highlight of my week was going to the hospital, meeting with the family, and letting them know they were cared for and giving them hope. Exploring how to pursue ministry in this fashion is exciting to me. Combining these passions missionally and through the church is something I am excited about exploring, pursuing, and learning as well.
However, we know in the very least we need to take a bit of time to process both individually and together, and to seek what the Lord may have for us. We feel in the very least we need some time together to pursue that. However, in our current state, we have no time to even talk about what is on our hearts together. Thus, things have to change for effectiveness.
What Have We Decided?
With all of those thoughts and needs, we came to the decision this past week that it would be in our best interest to step down from our leadership roles at Midtown Community Church. With everything going on right now, I feel as the leader of my family a great responsibility to get our life better ordered, so that we can be better effective as we move forward in ministry, wherever that may be. This past Sunday, I shared our heart with our launch team, and let them know that I would be stepping down from my pastoral duties, and Leslie would be stepping down from her role with the music/worship responsibilities. I believe that Leslie and I are about to enter a season where great prayer, study of the Word, and growth together will be needed. We are excited for this greatly. We will continue to attend and help see Midtown Community Church launch and be successful. However, our roles will be greatly reduced during this time, as we process and come together effectively.
Our role with M.C.C. isn't the only thing that needs to be changed. Leslie and I feel we desperately need to get on the same schedule work wise during this processing season for us. It does no good to step down from church responsibilities if we are working opposite schedules. We are currently exploring opportunities that may be out there for me to put us on the same schedule during this season, with some promising opportunities out there (non-church related). I will continue part time at the Ronald McDonald House Charities for this season in our lives. I love that place, it's mission, and it allows me to continue to learn about caring for people in distress.
We do plan to take some select opportunities, should they come to our attention, to minister together during this season outside from our current context as well. As many of you know, Leslie is an accomplished musician and worship leader, and in the last year had a CD come out. We want to put ourselves into select, short term situations where we can serve together and use that as a part of us creating new vision and unifying our hearts as a ministry team. So, if they become available, we may do some retreat and/or speaking/worship engagements together. Our hearts are both saying the same thing, that we need to pursue this, and now is the time. As with a few other things, we do not have anything like this confirmed right now. But, we say this to say that if a situation or two comes our way, we may say yes to it, as it exactly correlates to the goal(s) we are trying to accomplish during this time.
To close, I will encourage you in saying a few things:
1) God is moving in Midtown Kansas City. Our church is getting ready to be launched, and you were/are A HUGE part of it. I'm so excited to see what God does with M.C.C.
2)God is moving within my and Leslie's heart. Be affirmed-we are not burnt out, etc. We do need some rest together in the Lord for the sake of our marriage, but we are confident that God is stirring. We are excited to see what happens next in our life.
3) God is using you. God has, and is using you in my life, and in the life of Midtown Community Church. Your sacrifice has made it possible to see a new church about ready to be launched. You ARE a missionary! In the missions phrase to either "Pray, Give, or Go", I am confident that you have been in prayer, and many of you have given greatly. To this, i'm forever thankful.
Thank you for being people who care for me, love me, and believe in me. You have all made me the man I am today. I look forward to hearing from each of you and talking with you/communicating with you soon.
In His Grace,
Matthew Creath
