A New Chapter - 3/21/09

Today, after 2 years, 4 months, and 12 days since leaving our last church ministry position here in Grand Rapids, Julie and I have excitedly accepted an offer to join Rooftop Community Church in St. Louis as their new associate pastor. Rooftop has close to 300 attendees, 3 staff members including me and to find out more about it, check out the website above.

This journey has been a long and challenging one. 28 months ago I would have had absolutely no idea that God would lead where we have ultimately followed. He truly is the Shepherd, leading his sheep, at least those of His sheep who are willing to humbly trust Him and follow Him, even over dangerous paths and through difficult terrain they would otherwise not want to travel.

The journey to Rooftop alone has been an adventure unto itself, beginning late into the night of October 21st, 2008 after Julie and I were brought to our knees beside our bed in repentance and prayer, experiencing the conviction of our sins and of our self-centered living over the many years prior. In the hour after that time, when I couldn't sleep, the posting for Rooftop first came up on the "ministry position" website I was checking most often at that time. There is much more to that story, which will have to wait for the time being. First, let's take a step back to see where God has led...

Sept 2006 - Express our differing ministry views with previous church employer; mutually agree it is time to part ways.
November 2006 - Leave our church and ministry of 5 years with a grateful heart and hopefully in a fashion that honored them and God.
Winter 2007 - Take a break, visit Utah with family, go to seminary full time for a semester, and get ready for mission trip to Zimbabwe.
April 2007 - Travel with Julie and no kids to Zimbabwe with an openness to serving in Africa full time.
June 2007 - Travel back to Africa with an openness to serving in Africa full time.
July 2007 - Africa is not God's plan at this time, but sense His clear movement in a different direction...south to Indiana.
Summer 2007 - Make plans to move our family to a new "niche" housing development/community.
November 2007 - County in Indiana abruptly and surprisingly rejects previously approved housing plans...housing market crashes 6 months later along with our Indiana plans.
January 2008 - Not sure where to go next, yet continuing to trust God, we began looking for church ministry positions again.
Jan-Nov 2008 -Submitted resumes to over 40 different churches, advanced to final round of interviews numerous times, one of final two candidates several times...yet no offers.
December 2008 - I am freed from the "need" for a church ministry position (which I felt at times) and Julie and I decide to stop pursuing them for our vocation.
January 2009 - Begin making plans for life as lay leader in the church and get excited realizing our best and most fulfilling ministry happened as lay leaders at Kensington Community Church.
February 2009 - Rooftop invites us for interview much to our surprise; we excitedly come and interview, preach in their Sunday service "my message" , and although we enjoyed our weekend, we leave with no assurance or inclination yet of God leading us to Rooftop.
March 2009 - After expressing our uncertainty, Julie and I are invited back to visit Rooftop a second time. This second visit, we stay in a Rooftoppers home for two nights, skip the rental car and are chauffeured wherever we need to go, have a very enjoyable 2 days of sharing and connecting with the Rooftoppers and in the process...God moves in our spirit and our hearts, He removes the uncertainty and brings His peace. In fact, during our debrief on the flight home I asked Julie the following question, "If we were to move to St. Louis for no particular reason and you had to pick any church that you wanted to attend and join, what church would you pick?" She said, "Rooftop" and I agreed. Even as lay people, we would want to attend Rooftop for so many reasons...so it is settled. A week later, after talking to their leaders and getting the necessary feedback, they offer us their open pastoral position. Honored and with great enthusiasm, we accept the offer and agree to join the Rooftop family.

I will talk about the steps in the postings to come, if for nothing else but to journey through them in my own mind and heart. My prayer therein is to see God's ultimate glory revealed, to strengthen the validity and appeal of trying to live out a truly biblical Christianity (the contrarian way), and to invite others to step out on the narrow path which God is calling all of His children to traverse.

As far as today, March 21st, 2009, exactly eleven years since I was discharged from the United States Marine Corps, we have a church home and a new community of Jesus followers to love and learn to love more deeply, to serve and learn to serve more selflessly, to rejoice with and to rejoice with all the more, to mourn with and to (Lord willing) share our souls with through the trials and suffering that comes to all who dare to follow Jesus and walk TOGETHER on the narrow path...