Easter Sunday Worship @ForefrontChurch
Easter was unreal. I’ve been doing this lead pastor thing for a year and a half. Been in some form of ministry for over 12 years. Easter 2010 will be a defining moment in my life.
It was the day I realized God wasn’t just playing a cruel joke on me when me moved our family to do ministry at Forefront and then transitioning us to lead His church here. Truth be told, I had no earthly idea what God was thinking when He prompted me to accept the role of teaching pastor at Forefront. I thought He was crazy. Seriously. I was following the guy who started the church, wrote a couple books, and has more energy on stage than Gallagher. The church was in a financial bind, we were in the process of going from three campuses down to one, our worship pastor resigned, our campus pastor was leaving to explore church planting, and families were bleeding out left & right because…
“The church is just different now.”
“What can a guy your age teach a man like me?”
“You don’t preach like the last guy.”
“The music isn’t really my style anymore.”
“I feel like God is leading me in a different direction.”
“You really aren’t the leader I want to follow.”
“This place isn’t feeding me. It’s your fault.”
If that isn’t enough to kill your spirit- During that time we moved in with my in-laws to take care of my mother-in-law who died three months later. My wife started a new job. We were learning how to be the parents of a new baby. My wife got pregnant (again- with a girl, ugh). We had 4 different couples we were close with (almost like family) struggling with divorce and looking to us for counseling. It was a whirlwind.
But… I wouldn’t have traded this year and a half for the world.
The main reason- I felt God.
I felt Him like He was crawling within my skin and almost audibly speaking my steps into being.
It was bizarre on a whole new level. But in a good way.
I don’t want anything else. And, I’m seeing the fruit of being faithful through all of that chaos…
- I’ve watched as we’ve baptized almost as many people in the first 3 months of 2010 as we did all last year combined.
- Easter Sunday we had 600+ people in attendance. The last time we had that many people was at the launch of our three campuses.
- Our staff could do battle with any church staff in the country (Ministry or American Gladiators… I’d like to see the 2nd one personally). They are really all-stars.
- Many people have said that we’ve moved backwards. I say they’re crazy. Pulling everyone back together from three campuses to a single campus and refocusing our energy was the best decision ever. God has confirmed it exponentially.
- The number of broken marriages being healed is more than I can count. The cool part is people are coming forward and talking about it.
- I could write an pretty intense book on ministry trenches just from my Gel Group alone. If you knew their stories, it’s a lifetime of practical ministry knowledge (Hhmmmm, who knows?!?)
- The leaders coming up right now are “Grade A” Amazing. We have two new elder candidates who I cannot wait to share with everyone at Forefront (very soon, I promise).
- In 2009, I served in Ta Phin, Vietnam putting a water purifying system into an elementary school. We were asked if we could take on a water project to bring clean drinking water to 600 families in the valley and surrounding area. They also asked if we could put in a computer lab. Our student ministry committed to building a house in Mexico. And we had a plan to give a financial gift to the local homeless ministry we work with (People In Need). The total cost of those projects is $20,000 dollars. I said yes. I had no clue where it was coming from. I didn’t consult any of the leaders. God presented a need, and we’re commanded to meet needs, so I said Forefront would do it. Now we’re coming close to the date we need to get all the money in as a church… and someone walked into my office last week with a check for $8,563.00. Yep. They just said they were sold out to God’s mission and Forefront’s vision and wanted to be a part. There’s another guy out Southwest who saw this video and was prompted to set up a meeting with our missions coordinator to give a large portion to the projects.
God is good. I mean it. GOD IS SO GOOD!
- I sat in my living room a couple months ago during Gel Group and watch a woman in tears share her story about a driver loosing control of the car and hitting her stroller, ripping it out of her arms, and watching her baby boy die on the scene. It was her 2nd time at group. As she told the story, another girl (first time at group) was sobbing as she told the story. She looked up and shared that she was the 911 operator who took the call of that accident. The whole group was in awe & silence. It was a God moment. They shared and brought a bit of healing to a horrible situation.
- Before we moved in with my in-laws, our small group met at our apartment. One night a young couple who was recently baptized came for the first time. They were awkward in group, but it wasn’t too bad and everyone made them feel welcome. Afterwards, they stayed to chat. They shared with us, “We’ve been in your apartment before.” “Um, no you haven’t” I replied. “This is your first time at group.” He sat for a second, “Well, we have been in this very apartment before. It was with the previous tenant over a year ago. We started our drug addiction here. It’s where it all began. Smoking up and what not in the very same spot we just had Bible study.” My eyes showed my emotions. I was wrecked. Tears. He continued, “Her and I are ending our lives like that and starting our lives anew in the very same place, kinda cool eh?” I would say it’s totally a God ordained thing, eh? Still get the chills when I talk about it. Whoa.
I could go on. But during communion this past Sunday- it all hit me.
God isn’t playing a cruel joke.
This was in His plan.
His plan never fails.
I just need to be faithful.
Forefront has to be faithful.
We have to be about His mission.
I love you guys.
Jason *over and out*
