Archive - November, 2009

Another Layer

November 23, 2009 in Belgium, Family, Mission, Sending Church, Uncategorized with 5 Comments

Over the past several weeks as we have prepared for the impending sale of our house and the move to an apartment we have given, sold, and thrown many things away.  It has been amazingly freeing to get rid of “stuff.”  The “stuff” we have moved out of the house hasn’t been bad, worn out or broken….just extra.  Why do we have four pots and three pans when we always use the same one?  That example doesn’t take into account the other cooking implements we have in the cabinets.  The “stuff” we have had in closets  and the attic for years that we never used and really had forgotten about had to be dealt with before we moved to an apartment.  I was amazed at the amount of clothes that I had in my closet that I didn’t wear and really didn’t like.  Someone else could utilize these and probably needs clothes that I am hoarding or holding onto “just in case” I decide I need them.  Well, purging started and continued for several weeks and honestly it felt good.  Freeing is the only word I can really use to describe how it feels to “lighten” the load.  Amy has called this “taking off another layer.”  I think that phrase adequately describes the process we have been walking through in preparation for our move to Belgium.

I am so thankful that God has given us time to walk through this process over a period of time.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to “take off the layers” all at once as some have had to do before.  This past week we took off “another layer.”  Our house sold and we moved into the apartment finally.  God has given us a wonderful place to live.  We are very thankful God answered our family’s prayer to sell our house quickly so we could transition to an apartment and learn that lifestyle again before moving to Belgium.  It has been around thirteen years since we last lived in an apartment and we wanted to make that transition while we were still in a familiar culture, not while going through culture shock in another land.  We said goodbye to our house of seven and one-half years and around 2000 sq. ft. and began life in a multi-family housing development and a 1300 sq. ft. apartment.

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All the “layers” that we had shed over the past several months had been well worth it. I am so thankful that God has given us this opportunity. But, we have learned we still need to take off several more “layers.”  We didn’t fully realize the size of our refrigerator in our  former house, the size of our food pantry, the amount of cabinets we had or the lack of closets, drawers and storage in an apartment.  I think our “stuff” multiplied during those years of attic and closet living in our old house.

God help us to not hold onto “stuff” and show us the “layers” that have built up over the years.

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Thankfullness

November 18, 2009 in Influence with 0 Comments

God’s grace in my life, Amy being my wife, Jordan, Peyton, Evan, my mom – Carol, my sister – Tracey, Greg, Abby, Ellie, Lucy, Zoe, Pat, Amy, Hood boys and girls, the Overby’s, LifePoint Church – Smyrna & SCC, Staff team I serve with, Belgium Team I will serve with, my health, The Bridge – SL, FBC Dade City, Bill and Beverly Hild, FBC Sarasota, the Florida crew, the Kea’s, the Long’s, God’s call in my life, the Bible, Rodney, Laura, small group friends ….(to be cont.)

Fell free to name some things you are thankful for during this time of the year.

Next Gen Glocal Believers

November 18, 2009 in Family, Leadership, Mission with 0 Comments

I want to point you to a good article on raising the next generation of missionaries and glocal Christians.  Good suggestions on raising our kids to think glocally about our the faith we are trying to pass on.

The Sending Church Campaign

November 16, 2009 in LifePoint Church, Mission, Sending Church with 0 Comments

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The Sending Church Campaign is about to close. We have been in a very unique series for the past 3 weeks @LifePoint Church where Pat has challenged us to be active in the sending process as a church (corporately) and as individuals by giving financially above and beyond our tithe. People have responded overwhelmingly in a positive way with comments about finally realizing the importance of sending to international cities where Christ is not recognized Lord.

One question that continues to be asked and I want to help answer concerns financial partnership with individual missionarieschurch planters from our church. The question has been phrased like this, “If my family is giving to support/partner with a certain family will that money be counted toward the overall goal of $1.5 million dollars the church is raising?” This is a good question and I have a very short and easy answer.

YES!!

Any financial partnership that a LifePoint member/attender makes with one of our church planters on the Bangkok or Belgium teams will be counted as part of the overall goal of $1.5 million. Please make sure and write the family name and country on the commitment card so the financial office can make sure it is directed as desired. You also need to let the church planting family know of the partnership you are desiring with them.

The dollars that are committed to a LifePoint church planting family is designated to that family as salary support. Any dollars that are committed to The Sending Church Campaign that are not designated to a church planting family will go toward ministry budgets and the planting of future local and international churches/campuses.

I am looking forward to turning in our family’s commitment card and bringing an initial offering this Sunday. Join with us as Lifepoint “sends the church to be the church where there is no church.”