2008 marks my 30th year of church planting. As a college freshman in 1978 I was called to become the first pastor of a brand new church (split) in Liberty, MO. We met in a storefront above a Kirby Vacuum Cleaner office. Since that time I have had the unbelievable privilege of planting a dozen churches and serving as a church planting leader Nationally, Statewide and most recently locally in the Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association.
I have had the incredible excitement of being around hundreds of church plants in these 30 years and hanging out with some awesome leaders like Peck Lindsay, Charles Channey and Paul Johnson.
By all accounts it appeared that my remaining years on this earth would be focused on church planting. My DOAM retired at the end of 2007 and I had submitted my resume to the Associational search committee. Many of you, my closes friends had provided letters of encouragement to me and recommendations to the committee. I was really blessed by your support.
Recently I picked up a book at the suggestion of the new President of the North American Mission Board, Geoff Hammond. While hearing Hammond speak to a group of us a few months ago he remarked that a book by Erwin McManus had impacted his life in a big way. That book was "Chasing Daylight'
I quickly found the book (go out and buy it today!) and began to read it, and then share some of its insights in my sermons at Wornall Road. (I have been working for two years to replant an urban church called Wornall Road, and I am having a blast! God has shown up among us and the last two years have been amazing)
As I am reading a preaching the topics in this book, God is revealing much about Himself to me and much about my life to me as well. McManus concludes that sometimes the very blessing of life became a hindrance to living a life of faith. In other words the more we are blessed with, the more we risk losing when God calls us to an uncertain future. McManus reminds us that we often require provision as a basis for vision, when in fact the scripture makes it clear that vision proceeds provision. McManus unpacks these truths in the context of the story of Jonathon and Saul found in I Samuel chapters 13 and 14. As you recall the Philistines were causing trouble as Saul was camped out under a pomegranate tree with his army of 600 Saul was afraid to move, he was afraid to loose his army. Meanwhile, his son Jonathan instructed his armor barer to go with him to fight the philistines because God may give them the victory….and off the two of them went, headlong into an uncertain future, but moving directly into the will of God. Too often churches and leaders are so concerned with “holding on” to what we have that we fail to see the opportunity that lies before us in the risk of the journey. You can listen to the sermon (shameless plug) on this topic on the Wornall Road website at www.wornallroad.org, go the audio archive and the title is “an uncertain journey” dated November 11. Little did I realize the impact of that sermon on my own life.
I told you this book was having a profound effect on my life…really profound. I had always assumed that in one way or another my future was here, serving in the Blue River Kansas City Association. I assumed that my future was as a church planting leader, as catalytic missionary or as director of missions. After all God had blessed me with a secure position surrounded by people who loved me and affirmed my ministry. In these past days as I read this book and focused on the Biblical text contained in it I became aware that God had some task for me far outside of my comfort zone. I began to understand that God was calling me to leave a secure and certain future and follow Him with the same abandon that I did 30 years ago as an 18 year old church planter (with very little to lose I might add).
To that end, in recent days God has made it clear to me that it is His plan for my life to leave my work here in our Association in order that I might accept the invitation from the Light house ministry here in Kansas City to serve as their next Executive Director.
The Light house is one of the largest and oldest ministries to mothers and their babies in this region. Among other things, the Light house provides a residential home for teenage girls facing an unplanned pregnancy, they have assisted in more than 1000 births of babies and as a state licensed adoption agency they have placed more than 300 babies in adoptive homes. The Lighthouse also provides parenting skill training for new parents as well as abstinence programs throughout our community. The Light house exists to provide hope and life in the name of Jesus.
The Light house has a staff or more than 20 people and a residential home in the Hyde Park area of Kansas City. It seems to be a risk for Jill and me to move into this new and demanding ministry role, but we are certain it is exactly where God wants us to serve.
I will still be available to preach, lead conferences and do some consultation with churches and leaders on issues of church revitalization and church planting. Contact me if I can assist you or your church in any way. And of course, I would welcome the chance to share with you how your church could be involved in the life saving ministry that is the Light house.
I have never been more thrilled and terrified about a ministry in all of my life! Just as when Jill and I moved to Canada 8 years ago, we know this is a risk....but we embrace it to the max!
I have seen the light! and the Lighthouse is my new calling.
