Alrighty, a few years ago the Lord was speaking to me in some crazy ways. Dreams...several dreams that I knew were from Him. Other times it was like I heard Him say something out loud to me. I remember waking up one night and looking around. I woke Steve up and asked if he had heard that. He had not. I knew it was God. I just knew it!
Does this happen to you?
Has this ever happened to you?
If so, please share...cause these God stories are so worth sharing!
Well, I heard this Lord's voice again about a month ago.
This time it was small. It was still. It was more "internal."
I love that He can speak things to us in so many different ways. It doesn't make one thing He tells us more important, it's just different.
Well, Steve and I thought we weren't going to be able to go to Romania this year.
Sadness filled us. We wanted at least one of us to go to visit and encourage the missionaries there, to see the family we sponsor, to go and love on so many that we built relationships with last year. We just thought financially we couldn't do it and we are still paying off school and really want that debt gone.
About two weeks later this young married couple in our community group on Sunday morning texted me saying they really wanted to go with me to Romania and if I decided to go this year to please let them know. I wrote back telling them we couldn't go this year, but that they could still go and I could get them some information.
As soon as I sent that text the Holy Spirit said, "you can't go because of finances? Have you forgotten what I have done in the past? Have you forgotten that I am your Faithful Provider? These people matter. This trip matters. You need to go to Romania. Don't shut this door!"
I remember hearing this as I walked through my kitchen.
So Steve and I talked and I just kept thinking, well, I am going to Romania and I have no idea how I am going to do this. Lots of fundraising.
Fundraising. It can be fun, but it can be daunting. I hate fundraising, basically because we have done so much of it. At this moment in our lives, specifically this spring, live is just full and I felt overwhelmed at the thought of fundraising. None the less, it must be done.
But, then....
Yesterday...
I found out that my ticket is paid for ....
IN FULL!
The young married couple going with me....
HALF of their tickets are paid for!
The Lord is our Faithful Provider!
Listen to Him today. We must be so sensitive to what the Spirit tells us to do!
I can't help but wonder what God is going to do during this time in Romania this year. He made it so evident that I was to go and then He made it so possible for that to happen.
Thank you Lord!
*You can pray for this trip which will happen around June 29th-July9th*
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
FIRST Core Leadership Team Meeting
Here's an update on North Knoxville Campus of Fellowship Church.
We have a missional community group in Fountain City and another one that started about 6 weeks ago in Powell. We also have two small groups gone missional in North Knox.
Out of those groups we have asked some couples to consider being on a core leadership team. We have 2-4 couples per group representing that group depending on the size. This past Sunday, March 25th, was our first meeting!! Some are not 100% committed and that is okay, but we wanted them to come so we could explain our expectations of them and how this is helping the North Campus in the long term.
I have to tell ya, I got a little teary-eyed in that conference room as people were sharing. It is very neat to see something start from the ground up and know that God is letting you be a big part of it! I was so encouraged because the room was full....and this is just the core leaders....and we've only been doing this for 10 weeks! It makes me smile at what God may do in the future. It made me hopeful for not one particular thing, but just hopeful that HE is going to accomplish HIS purposes through us...through this team.
We must keep our eyes on HIM! He is our prize, our reward, our inheritance, our strength, our only hope!
We have a missional community group in Fountain City and another one that started about 6 weeks ago in Powell. We also have two small groups gone missional in North Knox.
Out of those groups we have asked some couples to consider being on a core leadership team. We have 2-4 couples per group representing that group depending on the size. This past Sunday, March 25th, was our first meeting!! Some are not 100% committed and that is okay, but we wanted them to come so we could explain our expectations of them and how this is helping the North Campus in the long term.
I have to tell ya, I got a little teary-eyed in that conference room as people were sharing. It is very neat to see something start from the ground up and know that God is letting you be a big part of it! I was so encouraged because the room was full....and this is just the core leaders....and we've only been doing this for 10 weeks! It makes me smile at what God may do in the future. It made me hopeful for not one particular thing, but just hopeful that HE is going to accomplish HIS purposes through us...through this team.
We must keep our eyes on HIM! He is our prize, our reward, our inheritance, our strength, our only hope!
Monday, March 5, 2012
North Knox Community Groups
I need to preface this by saying, I am not proofreading this post. Please excuse any spelling errors!
I have been wanting to write more about what is going on in North Knoxville. As I have written before, our family is partnering with the Thomas family to start another church campus of Fellowship Church. The campus will eventually, Lord willing, be in North Knoxville somewheres.
This doesn't mean we are putting up a box and having everyone come on in. It also doesn't mean we are just watching a screen of the current pastors teaching at the other location out in West Knox.
What it does mean is that we are starting to form missional community groups. I know, buzz word--I hate it! However, that is what they are being called.
What is a missional community group?
Well, this could mean different things for different people or different churches around the nation or world.
For us and our purposes what it means is that we are trying to build little pockets of people throughout the North Knox area who are living INTENTIONALLY to spread the GOSPEL!
We are trying to encourage and equip the saints to go out and be salt and light day in and day out.
In the good.
In the hard.
In the mundane.
In the hurting.
In the rejoicing.
In the pain.
In the sickness.
In the scary unknown.
In every moment of our lives....being the hands and feet of Jesus to a dying, sad, lonely and complacent people.
We are trying to teach others and retrain our own minds and hearts that church is not this place we go to once a week (or for some three times) and do this certain thing there and then we go on about our life.
No, we ARE THE CHURCH! Worship is happening while I am giving my kids a bath, while we are having dinner with strangers in our home, while I am cooking dinner, while I am doing laundry, while I am at work, while I am teaching my children memory verses and so on and so on.
What about at the grocery store? Do I interact with the cashier? Well, as a matter of fact I do. Every time I go to the store I have been checking out with the same lady. I always look for her and we have started talking lately. She has some health problems. Well, now I have a conversation starter and I am slowly getting to know her. We're just acquaintances, but I can't help but believe that God has plans for her life and He may want to use me to encourage her and be a light to her.
Worship.
We go for walks a lot in our neighborhood. As a result, we get to know our neighbors and build friendships with them.
Noah just started playing soccer for a non-Christian related soccer organization. Steve is the coach and we have just met several other families in our community who are not in the Christian realm.
We are trying to live intentionally. Building relationships with the lost around us and encouraging those in the faith around us.
This isn't anything knew...it's all over the Bible, but today this kind of living is SO counter-culture.
And it can be hard and challenging for me too. But, I just can't help but live this way. This is meaningful living. It's intentional. It's our way of worship to the Father, who first loved us, and this is the only way we can somehow love others.
So, when people ask us, "where is the North campus?" We say, well, there is a pocket of people in Powell and another in Fountain city and those PEOPLE are the CHURCH out in North Knox.
Michael Thomas has been saying, "we are asking people not to do something, but to be something."
Who are you?
What are you living for?
Are you living intentionally?
What is your family's mission?
Eventually, we hope to have a place where all of the missional community groups out here are "congregating" for a time of fellowship, music, teaching, etc. It's a slow process and we are in the early phases of this process.
If you live in North Knoxville and want to be a part of a community group please get in touch with us. We have met with some already existing small groups who are wanting to do something a little different and this has been a great fit for them.
More to come later....
I have been wanting to write more about what is going on in North Knoxville. As I have written before, our family is partnering with the Thomas family to start another church campus of Fellowship Church. The campus will eventually, Lord willing, be in North Knoxville somewheres.
This doesn't mean we are putting up a box and having everyone come on in. It also doesn't mean we are just watching a screen of the current pastors teaching at the other location out in West Knox.
What it does mean is that we are starting to form missional community groups. I know, buzz word--I hate it! However, that is what they are being called.
What is a missional community group?
Well, this could mean different things for different people or different churches around the nation or world.
For us and our purposes what it means is that we are trying to build little pockets of people throughout the North Knox area who are living INTENTIONALLY to spread the GOSPEL!
We are trying to encourage and equip the saints to go out and be salt and light day in and day out.
In the good.
In the hard.
In the mundane.
In the hurting.
In the rejoicing.
In the pain.
In the sickness.
In the scary unknown.
In every moment of our lives....being the hands and feet of Jesus to a dying, sad, lonely and complacent people.
We are trying to teach others and retrain our own minds and hearts that church is not this place we go to once a week (or for some three times) and do this certain thing there and then we go on about our life.
No, we ARE THE CHURCH! Worship is happening while I am giving my kids a bath, while we are having dinner with strangers in our home, while I am cooking dinner, while I am doing laundry, while I am at work, while I am teaching my children memory verses and so on and so on.
What about at the grocery store? Do I interact with the cashier? Well, as a matter of fact I do. Every time I go to the store I have been checking out with the same lady. I always look for her and we have started talking lately. She has some health problems. Well, now I have a conversation starter and I am slowly getting to know her. We're just acquaintances, but I can't help but believe that God has plans for her life and He may want to use me to encourage her and be a light to her.
Worship.
We go for walks a lot in our neighborhood. As a result, we get to know our neighbors and build friendships with them.
Noah just started playing soccer for a non-Christian related soccer organization. Steve is the coach and we have just met several other families in our community who are not in the Christian realm.
We are trying to live intentionally. Building relationships with the lost around us and encouraging those in the faith around us.
This isn't anything knew...it's all over the Bible, but today this kind of living is SO counter-culture.
And it can be hard and challenging for me too. But, I just can't help but live this way. This is meaningful living. It's intentional. It's our way of worship to the Father, who first loved us, and this is the only way we can somehow love others.
So, when people ask us, "where is the North campus?" We say, well, there is a pocket of people in Powell and another in Fountain city and those PEOPLE are the CHURCH out in North Knox.
Michael Thomas has been saying, "we are asking people not to do something, but to be something."
Who are you?
What are you living for?
Are you living intentionally?
What is your family's mission?
Eventually, we hope to have a place where all of the missional community groups out here are "congregating" for a time of fellowship, music, teaching, etc. It's a slow process and we are in the early phases of this process.
If you live in North Knoxville and want to be a part of a community group please get in touch with us. We have met with some already existing small groups who are wanting to do something a little different and this has been a great fit for them.
More to come later....
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