I love the sense of renewal that I feel every day in this new chapter of my life. God has brought me into the clearing, and I love meeting the challenges of ministry as I see the open field in front of me and the possibilities for connecting with people in search of the God who is relentlessly seeking them. Multiple times through each week, I’ll find myself praising God for yet another blessing I can count in this season of our lives.
There are several things that contribute to the constant sense of joy I feel these days. The biggest one is the new church family I am a part of and the wonderful, partnering, prayerful leadership team that I joined when the Lakehoma shepherds asked me to be their preaching minister. Growing up as an EK (that’s elders’ kid to the uninitiated) and having been in full-time ministry for 15 years now, I have seen and worked with all kinds of elders and I can tell you that our church family is blessed with these five men. I look forward to getting together with them each time we meet. There is a pervasive sense of respect and appreciation for every other person in the room found in each heart when we get together. They are humble and yet they are not insecure about their role at the church. They do not feel a need to “compete” with me, nor I with them; instead, they contacted me a year ago to see if we might pursue ministry together because they have their job they are uniquely qualified to do and they wanted to talk to me about adding what Rachel and I can do through our ministry. It is a complementary, synergistic relationship that releases us to pursue our ministry with spiritual fervor. They are open to finding ways to be a blessing to the church family, in our community, and across the globe. They are under-shepherds of the Great Shepherd as I am a preacher on behalf of the one who once said “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for” (Mark 1:38). We know we need each other, and that we each can contribute toward accomplishing God’s will in Mustang and beyond. I can’t remember a time when I’ve enjoyed ministry more.
Of course, there are also many people in Mustang (both in the church and outside the congregation) who have made this move a blessing. We have really enjoyed being a part of Life Groups every Sunday night. I love preaching on Sunday nights, but there is so much you can’t do in a large group that you can enjoy with a small, intimate group of believers and guests. The Life Group ministry here (based on Buddy Bell’s model) was begun with great care, prayer, and preparation. It was one of the strongest attractions for us as we considered this work. It has not disappointed–the Life Groups are flourishing and blessing more and more lives. Praise God!
Another great blessing is my relationship with the former preacher (of 25 years!), Bob Gregg. Bob and I are truly kindred spirits. We love each other and are thrilled to be working with each other. I began to believe God had providentially opened this door of ministry after spending a great deal of time on the phone and in person with the elders and from meeting and talking for the better part of a day with Bob. I have not been disappointed in the slightest. Instead, I have had it confirmed that God worked the way that only he can to answer their prayer of seeking their next preaching minister as well as our prayers as we considered embracing this ministry opportunity.
You just can’t beat God’s timing and God’s weaving of the tapestry. I am glad I stayed in Conway, AR for as long as I did, because there were relationships that deepened in the last year of being there. I was able to be around some people I came to love more deeply because we extended our ministry there. And by staying as long as we did (8 years), partnering with the Lakehoma church became a possibility for us. God’s love is amazing, and his timing is impeccable.
The church is blessed with a lot of folks who are actively taking part in the kingdom mission here (a few examples include the part-time and volunteer staff work done by our Children’s ministry coordinator and her husband, our youth ministry and education coordinators, the Life Group leaders and co-leaders, several deacons, the Day School workers, among many others). Some are helping the homeless in OKC; dozens of others are volunteering to help with the upcoming Camp KISMIF (Keep It Spiritual, Make It Fun), an outreach-oriented VBS-In-The-Park.
On the home front, Rachel and I are proud to be expecting a fourth child. All is going well with the pregnancy thus far. Every week we find a new blessing for our family in having come to the OKC area. The other day it was taking the boys to the park in Yukon (wow!). We feel the blessing when we’re pulling Matthew in the wagon down by the duck pond at the end of our street on a beautiful day. It’s found in a walk by Lake Hefner as the waves get whipped by the wind into the rocks. It’s in spending time with the new friends we are making here. It’s taking the boys down to Texas to see Papaw and Grandmama and Aunt Candace and Uncle Joe more often.
I could go on, but this has already become a thesis, so I’ll head toward home (I’m making up for lost blogging. I have been finishing up my 60-page guided research paper on The Akedah/the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19 lately. I mailed the final revision not too many days ago. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have my degree wrapped up). I’ll stop on this: Thank you, God. Thanks to everyone who has made/is making this a true time of Renewal in our lives!
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