Wednesday, March 12, 2014

God is saying go... again...

WOW!
I have some pretty exciting news to share with all of you!
I am obeying God's call and joining the team who recently planted a church in Coeur d' Alene, ID! It is such a different experience but it is so incredible. Let me tell you how it happened!

I first heard about Life Center CDA shortly before I moved to Mexico. I had thought that it would be fun to go to the information meetings about the new church but they were starting up right when I was moving to Mexico, so I dismissed the idea. When I got home, however, I learned that their first Sunday service would be February 9th! My sister and I decided to go and check it out. We really wanted to support a church that was being birthed from our home church (Life Center) and just be there for them during their first service. That's it... we were just visiting.

A funny thing happened while I was there. Everyone who came got a "connect card". Just a card to fill out your information and give back to the church so they can contact you. I filled it out, but then I just sat there. I began to wrestle with God about putting that connect card in the offering bucket. Thoughts were running through my head like, "But I've been at Life Center for 16 years... I just moved home, maybe its too soon to switch churches... I don't know anyone out here...". In that moment, God reminded me of something that I had written in my previous blog...

  "I can tell you that I will go where ever God takes me. After taking such a huge step of faith and moving to Mexico and seeing how faithful God was, I can honestly say that I one hundred percent, without a doubt, will go where ever he leads me."

Wow... I was at a loss for words. I knew that God was saying, "GO!" and I was just sitting there with all these doubts and questions. I was so convicted. After the service, I turned in the connect card at the info desk and decided that Life Center CDA would be my new church.

If you know me you know that I am never content just going to church... I have to serve. God put such an innate desire for ministry in me that I can't just attend every Sunday and thats it. To make a long story really short, I met with our pastor and his wife and shared my passions for ministry with them. I told them what I am passionate about doing but that I was literally willing to serve however I was needed. I spent the two years leading up to my move to Mexico interning at Life Center in the Worship and Performing Arts department. I specialized in production and service coordinating. During that internship I learned how God wired me and what gifts he had given me to use in ministry. Now guess what??? I get to start using them in CDA! I met with our pastor last night and he basically asked me to be the volunteer service coordinator at our new church! How cool! 

What does that look like? I basically oversee everything that happens in our Sunday service. (You really have no idea how much goes into it until you are behind the scenes.) I get to take everything I learned while interning and use it to bring glory to God at Life Center CDA. Gosh, I cannot tell you how honored I am that God chose me to do this. It is going to be a crazy adventure and I am so excited. I am already just LOVING the people that I get to do ministry with and the relationships that are beginning to grow. 

So, just a little bit about the church. Our pastor is Sean McCartin. Him and his family moved up here last year from Eugene, OR. They also took a huge step of obedience into the unknown and I am incredibly thankful that they did! They are such amazing people who have embraced me with open arms. I feel SO blessed that I get to do ministry with them. We meet Sunday mornings at 10am at Woodland Middle School. Everything is a little raw right now... I think its always like that in the beginning stages of a church plant, but that is one of the most exciting parts! Come check it out if you are ever in the area, or even if you aren't, come check it out anyways, we would love to see you! ;) And please, keep us in your prayers! I think I can speak on behalf of the church when I say they are greatly appreciated. 

So, there is the latest update! Thanks for reading and being interested in what God is doing in my life! I hope that you feel encouraged to do something that may seem crazy in obedience to Jesus. His plans are the best plans and he really does love to bless his children. 

God bless!

1 comment:

  1. Congrats. How neat Shelbi. Proud of you beyond words :)

    ReplyDelete