Church Planting Boot Camp Update #3

Today was our first full day at BootCamp and it was awesome!  We spent countless hours today doing different exercises that helped us answer some really important questions in the process of planting a church.  Our team is fantastic and we have already started to establish some relationships that I believe will go way beyond this week.  Thank the Lord for that!

God really has challenged me today in several ways!  I hope that if you are interested or praying about planting a church in the future, this could be of some encouragement to you.

First, one of the important things that I have been thinking about today is how has God wired me to be the best and most effective church planter/pastor that I can possibly be?  What are certain characteristics, personality traits, past experiences, and passions that when used for His glory, can help me plant and pastor a church?  So as I identified many of these things, I was presented a choice in my own mind.  I could either choose to wish I was more like other people in the church planting and ministry realm by thinking these certain areas of my life just aren’t good enough, or I could choose to be who God has created and designed me to be.  Of course, I have chosen to allow God to use me the way He has designed me to be and give my all to Him.  When you think about it, we all have to have this battle of the witts at some point in our lives, don’t we?  This is one of the first questions that you need to be able to identify and that is, WHO ARE YOU? When you can team that question up with WHAT DOES GOD WANT TO DO? You are on the right track to experiencing a journey like you would not believe!

Secondly, my passion for planting a church is doing nothing but growing!  My heart for Pittsburgh and it’s people is rapidly bounding in love and excitement for the things of God to be delivered to our community.  But one thing that has really been so very clear to my spirit over the last several days, is that as much as my heart is drawn towards this city, people and church, God’s heart for them is level after level above ours in terms of his love for this community!  And let me tell you, we absolutely LOVE THIS COMMUNITY AND CITY (That just shows you how much affection God has for his people)!  Don’t ever forget who has called you to plant a church, who has wired you for this time and season, who has prepared you for this calling and who will show up in a big way!  God’s will and purpose has more energy, strength, momentum, and power than any human force could every muster up.  His purpose for this work you are called to, is bigger than you could imagine, larger than you can see, deeper than you can sense, and wider than you could even possibly wrap your arms around!

Be encouraged that as much as you want to do God’s will in your life, He wants you to do it even more!  Has God called you?  Go plant that church!  Has God called you?  Go build that team!  Has God called you?  Go impact that community!  Has God called you?  Go make it happen and do it all for the glory of God!

Stay tuned for tomorrow nights post!  I am already excited to experience what God has for tomorrow!