Whew! This fall has flow by in a hurry. It is December, fall has come and gone, and we are into Winter. Here in Kansas City, the temps were in the single digits last night. Leslie and I built a fire, had some homemade chili, and bundled up! So many things have happened this fall, that i'm afraid that one post may not cover everything that has happened, but, allow me to give you to big highlights.
Ministry
Per my last post, Leslie and I stepped back from our leadership responsibilities at Midtown Community Church, a church we helped launch in the urban core of Kansas City. (If you need more info on that, go to the previous post). That decision was one of the best we could have ever made. It gave us time to focus on our marriage, relationship, and creating a firm foundation. She and I would be in a very different place if we had not made this decision. The past few months have found us in a lot of different opportunities.
In October, we had the great opportunity to attend a minister's marriage retreat, by the generosity of dear friends. Leslie and I got away, were able to focus on us and our young marriage, and be poured into by many men and women of the Lord.
In November, Leslie and I were able to get away to Baltimore and Washington DC for a mini-get away. Leslie had a work conference to go to, so I tagged along. We had a great time. We also got to spend the night with our friends Joel and Taylor, and attend Capitol Hill Baptist Church, about three blocks from the US Capitol. It was a great time in our nation's capitol, and my first time. We'd both like to go back very soon. It was a refreshing time to be together.
Over the past three months, Leslie and I have had lots of time to talk, think, and pray about our futures in ministry. As we stepped away from leadership at Midtown Community Church, we were not sure what the future had for us. However, we opened ourselves to the Lord, and asked him to reveal what he would have for us, what our lives should look like, and the directions we needed to go.
We truly believed that the Lord was preparing us for the future, but didn't know where, or what this looked like. For me, I knew I have things that Lord has gifted me in and desiring to use me in, that I needed to push forward with. For example, one of those giftings is pastoral care type ministry. I love visiting folks in the hospital and counseling with those in crisis. So, we prayed for an opportunity that would include that (as well as many other situations for me, Leslie, and our marriage combined).
As we trusted the Lord with our greatest ability given by Him, we continued to pray for the Lord to put us in the right spot he desires to use us. A few weeks ago, I was asked to have dinner with a man and pastor in the city that I have the utmost respect for.
Thus, a few weeks ago, Johnmark Clifton, lead pastor of Wornall Road Baptist Church here in Kansas City, and I had bbq at BB's Lawnside at 84th and Wornall (YUM). You might recognize the name Wornall Road, as it is not only the church that initially gave us some momentum to get Midtown Community started, but is also the church where Leslie and I were married at in July. I didn't really have a lot of idea on why we were getting together. At our meeting, Johnmark and I had a long discussion about ministry. Ministry is going well at Wornall Road (a church re-plant in itself from about 5 years ago...that's a story in itself....God is doing a great work there). There is a great need for an additional pastor to come on board there, to essentially continue to move the church along and allow it to grow, while effectively handling the many ministries and churches that have equipped by the church over the past five years. This church has been a part of 14 new works and ministries over the past 5 years, and it really is a newer work itself who truly lives out the Gospel in giving itself away in any way it can.
As we talked, I was told that the elders and himself had been praying, and my name came up in discussions to fill this role. Then, as we began to talk about specifics of what the need there was, it included EXACTLY the things Leslie and I had been praying for. We took some time to pray and consider the opportunity, as well as to attend a worship service at Wornall Road.
At the beginning of this week, Leslie and I decided that this was the direction we are to go, and we accepted the offer of coming on board at Wornall Road Baptist Church, right here in Kansas City. The church is located literally thirty city blocks (about 6-7 miles) from where we live right now.
This past Sunday (Dec. 12th) we announced to Midtown Community Church that we were being moved by the Lord to Wornall. We will begin worshipping with Wornall Road next Sunday, and i'll come on officially January 1st, 2011 as a pastoral intern, and take some time to learn and grow from a group of men who care for Leslie and I greatly.
It has been quite a journey thus far for me. in the past five years, i've seen a new church planted in Kansas City, i've married a beautiful girl, and now we are beginning our first ministry call together. Thank you for those of you who pray for us. Your prayers and support are vital.
I will have more information very soon. To end this post, I quote the title of my blog, "One step at a time, but always moving towards Him...". This is the theme that I have tried to live my life as. I take life one step at a time, and always try to move in the direction he is leading. The story in Mark 10 of Blind Bartimaeus has always stuck out to me as the life I wanted to live. There you find a man who was filthy, dirty, and cast out, and the Lord healed him, and he immediately got up and followed Jesus wherever he went. I am no different. Before knowing the Lord, I was filthy, dirty, and apart from God. Once the Lord became the center of my life, I have tried to immediately follow Him, wherever he leads. I'm excited for this new journey, and this time, I have a beautiful, wonderful wife to come along.
Life is good.
Many blessings.
