Sometimes God does things that catch you completely by surprise. When times like that happen, what do you do? You follow, of course.

That is exactly what has happened to us over the last few months. God has caught me completely off guard with something that seemingly came out of the blue. And as crazy as it seems, and as hesitant as I have been through the process, I really have no other choice but to follow and trust his leading.

A few months ago, I would have told you that we were in a position in our lives that was long term, and right in the center of God’s will for my family and for my ministry. Little did I know that he had something new and different in store.

Last spring, someone emailed me a link to a church seeking a new minister, thinking I might be a good fit. I immediately deleted it, and gave it no thought at all. But a few months later, during the early part of summer, I received a call from a good friend who attends this church, who also thought that I might be a good fit for this ministry. Now we have had two instances of God bringing this to my attention. Was I supposed to pursue this?

I have always taught, to my own kids and to the teens in the youth ministries I have led, that when God drops something in our laps, we have an obligation to follow, if for no other reason than to see if this is really his leading or not. If I were to go seeking other ministry opportunities, I probably need to examine my motives, but if God brings it to me, then I need to discern if this is his will for my life or not.

So we decided to pray about it and seek his guidance. After a few days, we had a clear sense that this could be from God, but we still weren’t sure. We proceeded cautiously, asking God for him to clarify if this was where he wanted us to go. Over the course of the next few weeks, God gave us clear indications, in no less than eight different ways, that this was his will for our lives.

After an initial interview with the search team, and then a weekend spent meeting the church body, I was offered the position of Senior Minister, and we have accepted the call to move there and serve. And so, at the end of October, I will conclude my time of ministry in Cabool, Missouri, and we will be moving to Sedalia, Missouri, to Parkview Christian Church, where I will take on the lead role and serve there.

This is a bittersweet moment in our lives. On the one hand, we are excited about the new possibilities, and the fact that God has so clearly led us in this direction. But on the other hand, we will be leaving some very close friendships and an excellent church in Cabool. I know that if God has led me to Parkview, then he is currently working to lead someone here for the next phase of ministry too. I know that Cabool will be in good hands. But it is still hard to say goodbye to a church that has become home and family to us.

While that is the bitter part of this transition, the sweet part is in the excitement of following God in a new direction. The possibilities of reaching people for Jesus in a new community are exciting. Meeting and making new friends is exciting. Reaching out to a new community is exciting. Leading a new church to be an impact in the kingdom is exciting. The closer bond that my family will experience as we make this move is exciting. The resources available to help us grow in a new community are exciting.

So we are fearful and overwhelmed and excited and expectant and nervous and peaceful all at once. It’s kind of a crazy feeling to have. But we know that God is right here in the middle of it with us, and he has orchestrated every last detail, and will continue to do so.

Over the coming weeks, I would appreciate your prayers for this entire situation. While many of the details have been resolved by God’s leading, there are still a few areas that he has not yet revealed to us. One area is housing. We need to sell our home in Cabool, and find a new on in Sedalia. Another area is the search that the leadership of Cabool Christian Church is about to undertake. Please be in prayer for these situations, and for the people involved in each of them. And pray for my family, that we can adjust to a new environment quickly and easily.

We are excited to embark upon this next phase of life and ministry, to see what God does in our lives and in his kingdom!

Question: Please remember us in your prayers as we embark upon this new phase of our lives and ministry. You can leave a comment by clicking here.