Happy Birthday!

Today is the birthday of Journey Church, or at least it is the day of our preview service. It feels a lot like the day we had our first baby boy. I was excited and nervous. Little did I realize how our life would change. I suppose if I did I might have thought twice about it but it seemed like the “right” thing to do. After all God’s Word is clear that we are to be “fruitful and multiply.” Besides we were having so much fun as a married couple serving in our first ministry, that we wanted share it with someone and thought that having a family would give us a chance to do that.

What I didn’t know is how much I would learn by being a parent, and just how much God would use it to change me. I knew I was going to get to teach my son a lot of things and was looking forward to that, but little did I know that having a son was the very thing God was going to use to teach me a thing or two. Now four children later I am so thankful for every one of them, as well as our daughter-in-laws, for what they have taught and are continuing to teach me.

Now as I think about giving birth today to a church, I think there is nothing more exciting that I can give my life to. After all God’s Word is clear that we are to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:18. Some think this is a direct reference to not just saving souls but planting churches, (ie Neil Cole, Organic Churches)

So, like a married couple, giving birth to a child there is nothing more natural for a follower of Christ than to give birth to a church. After all following Christ is so much fun, why not look for a way to share it with others. That’s what we are trying to do by giving birth to Journey Church today. First, to be obedient to God’s word and second, to share the joy of knowing Christ with others.

But I am still nervous. I’m nervous because we’ve never done this before. And just like parenting you have no idea what you are getting yourself in for. Yet you know it’s what God has called you to, and so you do it, trusting that in the end he will give you the wisdom, the strength and the encouragement you need to do it.

So we are having a baby and I thank God not only for getting to be the pastor of Journey Church but for all that he is going to teach me alone the way.

P.S. No that's not an actual picture of any of our "boys" but it could have been!