Here's What Happened in August!
As we continue to prepare to move to New York City this Fall, we’re continually blown away by all that God continually does to provide for our needs and affirm His calling on our lives!
In August, I stepped down from my role with Amazon to focus solely on church planting. I would describe our our work in this current season as frame-building as we are focussing our time on growing spiritually, solidifying partnerships, and organizing systems.
Growing Spiritually I asked a friend of mine who planted a church in Northern California about a decade ago what his best advice would be for a new church planter. He encouraged me to focus more on being faithful rather than being fruitful. One way I was able to do this in August was through a trip to Ft. Smith, Montana. I was invited to attend a weeklong retreat with other church planters and Christian leaders from across the country. On this trip, we were able to fly fish, shoot skeet, and fish in the Bighorn Canyon. Along with these awesome experiences, I was able to connect and learn from other experienced Pastors and leaders. It was a refreshing time! And for those worried about Melissa, we made sure she had plenty of refreshing time for herself the following week! Both weeks were restful and life-giving for us!
Solidifying & Strengthening Partnerships We have been so grateful to so many churches and individuals who have believed in the vision that God has given us and have committed to join us in this mission. Partners who have committed to pray and support us financially are so important to the work During the month of August, I was able to preach at three of our partner churches and meet with multiple Pastors and leaders.
In addition to these meetings, we’re so thankful to have been invited to take part in a church planting residency with The Church of Eleven22 here in Jacksonville. Leading up to our move, I’ve been invited to participate in their All Staff Meetings and learn more about their culture. We will be able to go through this residency remotely beginning in January. Along with our training we’ll receive from the North American Mission Board and the SEND Network, we feel that we’ll have the best training because of these incredible partnerships with the SEND Network and The Church of Eleven22!
Organizing Systems As I said before, this season is a frame-building season for us. Our hope is to plant a church that is sustainable for many years to come. In order for that to be the case, we need to establish great systems from the beginning to ensure that we will be ready for longterm growth. FBC Orange Park, our sending church has been a huge help in establishing these systems with us. We have met with some of their leadership as well as an accountant to organize our finances to ensure that we’ll be ready for growth and for the IRS! While this can be tedious work, it is essential as we grow and develop as a church.
While we’ve hit our first fundraising goal, we are still praying that God will continue to provide for ministry expenses for this upcoming year. Would you commit to partnering with us financially? Make your commitment by clicking here!
Thank you so much for praying for us and committing to support us! We have been so encouraged through your support, encouraging messages, verbal affirmations, and promotion of our ministry!
