A New Adventure Begins…

Two years ago next month our family drove away from our house in Wichita Falls, TX making our way to an apartment in Franklin, TN. We left a church, a home, and friends that we loved to go to a place we had never actually seen before except online. Our move was prompted by a stirring I felt from the Holy Spirit to walk along side of some guys who were planting new churches while I finished a doctorate that focused on team leadership with church planters. It was a move that was based upon faith, obedience, and convictions…no job, no church, no security, but no doubts. Although I can’t say that I have accomplished all that I had hoped…it has been an incredible adventure filled with great times of growth and learning.

Before we left TX, we had a family meeting with the girls to talk through the move. There were a lot of thoughts and emotions that night as we had that conversation but I communicated two things that were very clear to me. One, our moving to TN was an adventure that we were all going to go on. Our whole family had a purpose for our move…it was not simply about me. And two, I shared that we may only be in TN for a year or two…a time to serve, learn, grow, and work on my dissertation. We would then see where the Lord would lead us again but it may not be to stay in TN. I shared those two things that night and there have been many changes and surprises along the way. However, one thing that has not changed is the belief that God would be faithful as we walked in obedience. True to His character, God has been faithful and now almost exactly two years later, He has provided an opportunity for me to serve the Kingdom utilizing my gifts, strengths, past experiences, and passion.

Although we love living in the Nashville area, God has opened a door for me to serve at Pinelake Church in Brandon, MS. www.pinelake.org. I will be serving as a pastor in charge of the church planting efforts and the leadership development of their ministry interns. Pinelake will lead out in producing a new generation of church planters and network with other church planting churches to help recruit, equip, coach and lead church planting-focused disciples with a vision for kingdom multiplication nationally and internationally. (For those so inclined, I copied the job description below.)

It will be a new role for me and for Pinelake. This position will call for major adjustments from me and the family as we make the move to a new location so your prayers are appreciated. Brandon is located just outside of Jackson, MS in a beautiful, growing community. Pinelake has been well led by their Senior Pastor, Chip Henderson, for the last 12 years and has grown to some 7500 in attendance in their weekend services. Church planting and leadership development is taking a front seat in their overall mission and I have the incredible privilege of being on the ground floor of developing this emphasis.

I accepted their invitation last week and will begin serving in March. Understandably the girls have mixed emotions but actually they are doing well and see some great things ahead for our family. At this point, I will be doing some commuting back and forth as the girls and Melody finish out the school year in TN and then we will make the final move in May. Thanks for your continued support, love, and friendship. Please keep us in your prayers as we start writing a new chapter…it is one that is filled with great anticipation of amazing things to come.

Partial list of responsibilities:

• Create, develop and manage Pinelake’s Church Planting Residency Program.
  • Annually discover and recruit church planters from various colleges, seminaries, or churches to participate in the Pinelake Church Planting Residency program.
  • Lead the equipping and coaching of the church planting residency members in 11 months of training preparing them to plant new life giving churches nationally and internationally.

• Oversee the ASCEND internship programs (www.ascendatpinelake.org) for kingdom multiplication.
  • Annually discover and recruit 8-10 college/seminary graduates who are preparing for full time vocational ministry to participate in 11 months ministry intern program.
  • Oversee the ministry interns, providing on-the-job training and experiences to next generation church leaders.

• Direct the development, oversight, and execution of Pinelake national church planting strategies and partnerships.
  • Serve as a working link with the LAUNCH Network (www.launchstrong.com) and all associated church planting hubs. Facilitate church planting equipping and networking in coordination with LAUNCH Network strategies, opportunities, and needs.
  • Support “Hub South” of LAUNCH equipping and networking roles: to help train and coach planters with an ability to start, grow, and lead strong, to mature a vision of multiplication, and to facilitate dialogue between church planting minded churches.
  • Network with other like-minded church planting networks (NAMB, IMB, etc.), churches, or planters to facilitate best practices for multiplication and kingdom advance in accordance with Pinelake vision and strategies.
  • Maintain partnership and connection to select Pinelake sent or supported national church planters through networking, follow-on coaching, and needed long or short-term mission team augmentation.

• Communicate to the Pinelake body the role and impact of church planting churches for God’s kingdom advance.
  • Develop servant leaders/disciples with a vision and passion for multiplication and church planting.
  • Provide opportunities for the Pinelake body to support and interact with the work of partnering church plants and planters.

Words Matter

It’s been a few days but my heart is still heavy.

She started out somewhat calm but the more she talked, the more it became obvious that she was in pain. It was about an hour and half that this young lady spent sobbing and pouring out her heart to Melody and me. Sometimes we can forget just how real the feelings of teenagers are. Everyone faces tough days and teenagers are no exception. I know from my own daughters that there will always be the usual teenage issues of “this person being mad” or “that person giving a dirty look.” It’s easy for me to dismiss those days as trivial because I know in time those things will not even be remembered. However, what this young lady shared with us struck a cord deep in my heart.

I don’t walk the halls of Jr. or Sr. high schools anymore so I can forget what it is like. However, one thing I have not forgotten, regardless of age, is that words matter! It is big deal when people say things to you or about you that just aren’t true. It’s huge when you have people that you once considered a friend who are now talking “trash” about you. It hurts when “friends” say degrading, cutting remarks as you pass by and then smile at you with “I’m just kidding.” It affects you when you are verbally harassed and bullied by those that you have to see every day. Words matter…especially words said to and about teenage girls.

What do you do? You can’t go tell someone to make them stop…that will only make them talk more about you; you can’t really ignore them…you have to be around them each day; you can’t “beat them up”…you know that you would be the one who would be hurt most and it wouldn’t help anyway; you certainly can’t get your parents to intervene…that would be the death sentence. It seems to be a “no win” situation…it’s tough! We have all been there but it doesn’t make it any easier on someone who is there right now. Sure we survived and that may bring some hope at the moment, but tomorrow morning she is the one who will have to return to school again and be the object of comments, judgments, and slanderous words.

I feel for her and the countless other teenagers who are dealing with the assault of verbal grenades. She is a nice young lady but with an extra sensitive heart to what people say and think about her. The continued barrage of careless words from immature, insensitive, and idiotic people have affected her deeply. Words matter! Words have power and they affect us even to the point where they can destroy our very soul. Many of us have tape recordings in our heart and head of words that were said to us. Years later some are still damaged from the shrapnel of those words. Some of us know stories of destructive acts done in response to the words of others. The old saying of “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” just isn’t true!

So what is the defense against such a powerful offense! There are obvious ways to combat the words that are thrown at us: distance yourself from the “attackers,” confide in trusted, mature friends for support, learn of your identity in Christ, prayer, read the Bible, and memorize scripture. If you are under attack, I pray that you hear the words of truth about you…you are precious, valued, wanted, beautiful, and loved. You are not alone and may you find comfort in Him, His Word, and people who have His heart. However, something each of us can do each day is to simply speak good words, life giving words, words of blessing to those around you. Words can hurt but words also have the power to build up, to heal, and to empower. I have said it for a number of years but if there is one thing we can never get enough of, it is encouragement!

Today, may we look for people that we can give life too! We don’t know what people have just faced or will face! We don’t know what words have been thrown at them or what words are being replayed in the depths of their soul. Regardless we can add life and value to them by simply sharing a “good word” with them. Parents, teachers, grandparents, bosses, employees, relatives, strangers, friends, and even teenagers…change a life today by encouraging someone. Say something nice to someone today because they matter…and your words matter too.

Ephesians 4:29…Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.



The Gift

One of the traditions that my family and I observe each Christmas is the hanging of an additional stocking. It serves two purposes. First, when people come over they can see 6 stockings hung and know that there are 5 people in our family so they always ask, “Who is the extra stocking for?” Secondly, it is a reminder that we need to give something to the person that the stocking represents. Just as I have a stocking that gets stuffed with some gifts, so do this “other” stocking. It is our stocking for Jesus. After all Christmas is the celebration of his birth so we felt it was only right that we give him a gift each Christmas as well. Every Christmas since Melody and I have been married, we write down a “gift” that we want to give Jesus and we put it in the stocking. Often it is a gift of an “attitude” or a “discipline” or a goal of some sort. In our “Jesus Stocking” is a collection of 18 years of gifts that we have given to him. Our kids have also been involved in giving him gifts as well.

Honestly, there have been a few years that we didn’t follow through on the gifts we gave to him. When looking back at some of those gifts, it provides for me both a reminder of His grace for me when I fail and motivation for me to love him even more.

This year, I wanted to do something very measurable and specific. I have been convicted so much lately about reading, studying, and memorizing His word. The psalmist writes,

“How can a person keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

So my gift this year to Jesus is to memorize His word. I share this with you for encouragement and for accountability. I have committed to memorizing the book of Ephesians by June 1. Will you join me in giving a gift to Jesus this new year? Your gift may be to write an encouraging note to someone each week, or invest a higher percentage of your income into the Kingdom each month, or read through the Bible this year. Maybe you could also join me in storing up His word in your heart so that you might not sin against him. You don’t have to memorize a book…you could start with the verses I mentioned above. (Psalm 119:9-11). It’s your gift to him and whatever you give, I am sure it will bless him and bless you as well. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year