Moving In A New Direction

My family is facing a huge change in the very near future.

We are moving halfway across the country, from the Missouri, in the Midwest, to the Gulf coast of Florida.

Heather and the Kids at the Beach

It’s been a crazy process; one that practically fell into our laps.

At the first of May, I will become the new youth minister of the Brooksville Christian Church, in Brooksville, Florida.

It all started when a friend mentioned a ministry position that he knew of. I thought nothing of it. We weren’t interested in moving away from Mountain View. But then the same position came across my Facebook feed, in a group of Christian church ministers that I am a part of.

So I asked for a few more details.

One thing led to another, and Mike, BCC’s senior minister, and I were talking on the phone. That resulted in a resume, which led to a phone interview, and was quickly followed by a face-to face interview with my family traveling to Florida for a week.

The rest is history, as they say.

I’ve wavered back and forth on this decision for almost two months. Heather and I have been praying over this decision for that same amount of time. In fact, our two oldest children have often joined us in praying about this major decision. That in itself has been exciting for me, as a father.

The result is this: we are confident that God has placed this opportunity in our path. He wants us in Florida.

This will be a great move for us as a family. With all the amenities available nearby, both in entertainment and education value, there will be numerous opportunities for our family to do much together.

An increase in income, although offset somewhat by a cost of living increase, will allow us to become debt free faster.

With a larger population, the opportunities for networking with more homeschool families will be greater.

The ministry will be a challenge as well. With a small group of students currently involved in the ministry, but with such a population pool surrounding the church, the possibilities for Kingdom growth are tremendous.

While we were visiting the area in late February, we were astounded by the friendliness shown to us. BCC seems like a place full of people who love being a part of the ministry there.

Leaving Mountain View will be difficult. We have developed several great relationships here. And with the nearness to our previous ministry in Kimberling City, and the friendships developed there, we will be moving a long way from most of the people who know us and love us best. That will be tough. Our kids have already begun to miss their friends, and we are still several weeks away from the move itself.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we have a lot to accomplish.

  • Contact and arrange either a truck(s) or a moving company
  • Reduce and declutter the house
  • Eliminate a lot of stuff through a moving sale
  • Prepare and list the house on the market
  • Pack everything
  • Finalize things in the ministry at MVCC
  • Pass the reigns of this ministry to the next guy, or to a team of volunteers in the interim
  • Say goodbye to family and friends

It’s going to be a busy time.

It’s going to be a stressful time.

It’s going to be a heartbreaking time.

It’s going to be an exciting time.

It’s the next phase in the Randleman family adventure. Watching God unfold the future, and partnering with him in the process, is amazing. And scary, too. There are so many “what if’s” in my mind; so many questions.

But there is also a peace. Covering this decision in prayer, like we have, has given us a very high level of certainty that we are making the right decision. We’ve prayed about it, and we’ve made our decision, trusting that God led us to the right choice.

What more can we do?

We would like to ask for your prayers concerning this transition. Prayers for the church in Brooksville. Prayers for the church in Mountain View. Prayers for our family as we work to make this change happen.

We covet your partnership with us in praying for this change.

Because it’s big. It’s really big.

But when does God do something that isn’t?

Will you commit to praying with us for this move over the coming months? You can share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

18 thoughts on “Moving In A New Direction

    • Thanks for the prayers, Joe! We’re pretty excited, although it is hard to leave where we are.

  1. God bless you! You are in my prayers. Love it that you are coming to the South. Perhaps we will run into each other. Can’t wait to hear more about this journey.

    • Thanks, Leah! I didn’t realize you were down that way… Where are you located?

      And thanks for the prayers!

  2. So excited for you and your family, Jeff! Can’t wait to see what God does in and thru all this. I will be praying for you and your family, as you make this big, God sized step. God does everything big, doesn’t He!

  3. Good luck Jeff. Know you’ll do great. Will be praying for everything to turn out well. Yes believe it or not I figured out how to hear God, now if I would only listen all the time.

    • Thanks, Sean! Glad to hear that you seem to be doing great!

      And, if only we could all listen a little more…

  4. Moving is both exciting and difficult at the same time. Congratulations on this new position and way to go on listening to the God’s call! You and your family will be in my prayers. You will be leaving some beautiful southern Missouri landscape for the beautiful land of Florida.

    • Thanks, Brandon! I know we will miss this area and the people here. We’ve lived here so long that it’s almost become a part of who we are. But we are looking forward to a new challenge as well. Florida is out of the Bible Belt, and so will present a new set of challenges. We are pretty excited!

  5. Now I know why I have had you guys on my mind the last week like a steady drip…drip…drip…

    I hope Florida holds for you all that California has brought to us. Do I miss people? Of course! But God clearly brought us to Petaluma because here is where He had the resources to meet our every need on every front.

    Super excited for you all!

    • Thanks! Keep praying over the next several weeks as we make the transition! Lots to do, and time is running out to do it…

      Glad to hear you guys are doing great!

  6. God bless you on your move. That is awesome and an awesome place to move to. I’ve been asking God a lot lately…Oklahoma…really? But that is where he is leading and so like you we go. Enjoy the adventure.

    • I’ve been following your transition on your blog. We were ready to move to Norman about three years ago to work with a creation ministry. That fell through, and we ended up here. But I had the same questions… Oklahoma? Praying for you guys!

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