Here We Go.... First Worship Services of Naples Presbyterian Church!

As I sit here listening to my husband practice music with a young man named Wil, who will be playing the violin at our first worship services tomorrow, my heart is full with thankfulness and praise to God.  He has called us to bring His good news to the South/East part of Naples, Florida and we are ready to begin!

Eric and Wil practicing for worship.

We have been here for four months now, and all the preparations have led us up to this day. We have sent countless emails, handed out dozens and dozens of invitations, made hundreds of photo-copies and gathered all the gear we think we will need. We've had open-houses and Bible studies, and read the books about church planting.  Humanly speaking, we have done what we can do.  But we realize that ultimately none of our efforts mean anything without God's blessing and approval.  He is the one we are serving, and all our "work" only has meaning when done for His glory.  So we humbly ask Jesus to bless our efforts and bring His sheep into our fold.

Our living room is a mess with all the literature, signs, and supplies we will need tomorrow.

We'll be meeting outdoors at a hotel's poolside patio since the conference room we have rented won't be ready for us tomorrow.  It's not what we originally envisioned, but it will be a memorable part of our church's story.

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Let all that is within me bless his holy name!"

Church Planting 301

It's been seven weeks since we embarked on our glorious adventure! And since this is the third church-plant we've been involved with, I have the blessing of perspective.  While the early days of church planting might look like a breeze to those on the outside, they can actually be quite challenging and hectic. But I am not experiencing the kind of doubts and fears that I have felt in the past.  We truly believe that God has called us to this work, so we face each day with confidence in Christ and his promises. It is also easier as "empty-nesters" since we do not have children at home who are experiencing sadness over moving.

We planned it so that our first two weeks in Florida were actually accrued vacation time from our previous church.  That was to allow us to take some "time off" to unpack and settle in without feeling guilty about making few contacts right away. That was the idea in theory.  But we no sooner arrived, and we began to feel the pull of seeking out people. It's just who we are and how we roll.

So while we unpacked and set up house, we regularly had friends (new and old) over for meals, swimming, and visiting.  Amidst all the cardboard and clutter we have had some very sweet fellowship.  Hospitality is a vital component in church planting, and we're blessed that we do enjoy having people in our home.

Someone asked my husband, "What do you do all day?" It's a great question, and he answered it more extensively here. Besides all the normal things that must be done when you move (driver's licenses, new insurance, car registration etc etc), there are lots of church tasks to attend to.

Many of our days have been spent driving around looking for that ideal place to begin holding worship services.  We have visited store-fronts, schools, office buildings, hotels and stand-alone properties. We've met with realtors, principals, managers and owners.  It's been a good experience and we feel much more well acquainted with our community after visiting so many venues.  The cloud of confusion is beginning to lift, and we think we have an obvious front-runner - yay!

Last night we held our first "event" which was an open house (in our home) to introduce people to our denomination and answer questions about our new church.  We were excited that 29 people came! We received some encouraging feedback via response cards, and now we pray for God to move in people's hearts.  We know that without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing.  Only the Lord can draw people to himself.... He simply calls us to be faithful in showing others the way.

Saying Goodbye to People We Love....

By far the hardest part of leaving Michigan was saying goodbye.  Parting with our son (who is staying in Michigan), our friends and our church family was emotionally draining, but still good and necessary.

What can you say to people you have known and loved for years, but won't see regularly anymore?  I tried to minimize the loss by saying to some, "This isn't 'goodbye', it's 'see you later'."  But it wasn't a very effective way to soothe the ache I was feeling.  It was also tempting to sneak away and avoid the pain altogether... but that wasn't really an option either.

So we walked through it, day by day for a few weeks, visiting and hugging and enjoying last meals and conversations with people we care about.  It was tearful and amazingly difficult at times, but gave us a sense of closure we would not have otherwise had.

I've been meditating on Psalm 126:5-6 since we sang  this song on Sunday while visiting a church on Lookout Mountain, Georgia with our son (on our route to Florida):
Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy! 
 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

We have sown many tears in recent days, but we "go out weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing". May God bless our efforts to plant and grow a new body of believers in Naples.  Now we are eagerly anticipating shouts of joy.

Church Planting.... Again

Almost fifteen years ago, my husband accepted a call to serve as pastor to a church plant in the Midwest.  Sensing God’s call, we packed up our life and moved with our four little boys from a happy ministry life in Florida to an unknown future. We left a sunny, beach-front community for a rolling winter landscape.  We traded a large, well-established congregation for a small group of families who needed a shepherd. There were many unknowns, and God, as always, was faithful.  Our experience has been a wonderful, rewarding and fruitful. 

The church God planted is a healthy, thriving congregation.  It has never grown by leaps and bounds, but rather slowly and steadily, one or two families at a time.  The church has outgrown three different locations and now worships in its own beautiful facility. We have invested our lives here and are richer for it.

So now we are going to leave.

The decision to go has not been made lightly.  We have tried to think through all the implications of our leaving and the many people it will affect.  We have sought God’s will in prayer.

Having sent three sons off to college, with our youngest going this year, I know that the time to part with loved ones always feels like it’s too soon.  When did the little boys whose shoes I tied and whose bruises I kissed become old enough to go away and live without me?  I want to hold on to them just a little longer, even when I know that it is time for them to leave.  I cry when they go.

There is no set rule for pastors telling them when it is time to move on.  I know that some denominations tell their pastors when and where to go, but that is not our church’s practice. It’s especially hard to decide when things are going well.  Staying is easier. Knowing when to go requires discernment, and that comes through a close walk with Christ, prayer and a willing heart. 

We have told the Lord that we would go wherever He sends us, and now we believe that He is sending us to church plant again.  There is no little band of believers asking us to come this time.  We have been asked by our denomination to go to a community where it has no presence, and we’ll be starting “from scratch”.  It will be a thrill to watch God create something from nothing.

Since my husband announced our intention just over a week ago to our church, family and friends, the Lord has confirmed the decision in our hearts. There have been reflective conversations and concrete answers to prayer.  It will not be easy to leave, but we will go with confidence that Christ is before us, behind us and beside us.

Book Review: The Church Planting Wife by Christine Hoover

I don’t usually use the phrase “This book is a must-read…” because I think that the only “must-read” for Christians is the Bible.  Every thing else is a matter of opinion and preference.  But for church planting wives, I’m going to break my own rule and say that this book is a MUST-READ (there, I even used capital letters to show that I mean it).

In The Church Planting Wife ~ Help and Hope for Her Heart, Christine Hoover provides an honest look at what it’s like to be the wife of a church planting pastor, a life that is filled with both joys and challenges.   She openly confesses her own fears and insecurities… which sound a lot like mine.  The solution?  She continually points her readers to Christ as the source of strength, confidence and provision.

Christine also addresses the primary source of trouble for church planting wives: our own hearts. She knows the temptations and tendencies that are common to church planting, and addresses them with good counsel and scripture.

My husband planted a church in the Midwest almost 15 years ago, and we have been here ever since. This week we announced to our beloved church that we are leaving to go plant a new church in another state.  So many of the emotions I had years ago have resurfaced… excitement and worry, anticipation and trepidation.  This book came along at exactly the right time in my life.

I highly recommend this book, particularly the paper version.  I first read this on my Kindle, but soon realized that I needed to underline, highlight and reread it, so I purchased the book. I'll be going through it much more slowly the second time.

I had not previously heard of the website which apparently launched the book: Grace Covers Me.  This is another resource I will be treasuring in the weeks and months ahead. Thank you Christine Hoover for sharing your heart with us that ours might be shaped to fulfill God’s purpose for us as church planting wives.

*I was provided with an e-book for review from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.