God told me when I was 16 years old that I could one day change the world. Not for my benefit, but for His. I thought that meant that for the rest of my life I would be working at a church, for a church. When I was engaged to Jenny, the church I was working for hosted a conference for church planters. (I was a 20 year old lighting guy) God began to reveal to me that one day He was going to use my family to plant a prevailing, audacious, bold, and Christ centered church that would be instrumental to my generation.
I told Jenny, and she laughed.
I stayed faithful for 2 years, believing God, but not finding any favor in my position at church. I found myself confused and hurt, but knowing He spoke to me. Deep down, His call was seared into my heart. God knew what He was doing. In the summer of 2008, frustrated and determined to go my own way, I began to leave my position at church to pursue a nursing career.
Three months into nursing that door was shut abruptly due to the economy. I was working part time for a different church to make ends meet, and decided to put all of my energy there. The church planting call began to rise up in me yet again. I told Jenny in the spring of 2009 that we were going to plant a church in Jacksonville.
This time she didn’t laugh, she got mad.
With a two year old and a new born, the last thing on my mind should have been church planting. Throw in an unstable economy and my young age, and the scale was leaning toward crazy. But God knew what He was doing. That summer we found God pulling us away from the church we were serving at, pulling us away even against our will.
I will never forget driving back from Orlando one August night in 2009. Jenny, with tears streaming down her face, began to share like a bursting water balloon all that God had been downloading into her about the church that we were going to plant. A church that would bring a newness to our community, a fresh approach to even the edgy contemporary church. A new life for so many countless thousands, a new start for the broken hearted and let down. A church that would put a new song in so many peoples hearts for the first time in years. A song of life, passion, purity, and renewal through Christ. A new Church, Newsong Church.
In November, we began to build and gather.
In February we launched.
And now we take our next step. A crazy step, a God sized step. We have had so many miracles over the last couple of months of ministry. Countless testimonies have come in about how God is using our church to change lives. But as we take the next step into making history, we need you.
This Sunday at church I will be sharing what God is calling us to do next as a church. I will also be announcing some very important and exciting news about our next move. If you have missed church lately or have been following us for a while and never actually come to visit, this is your weekend. Don’t miss this incredible worship experience we have planned as we worship together and share the biggest news in our church history. (I know, I’m only talking 12 church services of history!)
God knows what He is doing, and He is calling so many of you to step up. Will you obey His call? See you Sunday.
