Originally from August, 2016

Around two years ago, God spoke to my heart that he was doing something new in our community.  Something new was coming.   And this something new was happening or about to happen in a radius around our house. I could see it.  Slightly north of our house, down past Willis Tucker to the East, to Fred Meyer in the West and into Mill Creek.  I kept thinking this radius should end on 35th because 35th was significant, though I couldn’t have told you why.  But every time I prayed about this “new thing,” it was clear that the radius extended into Mill Creek.

At the same time, I began to grow restless with church. Not in the church itself, but out of my heart’s desire for my kids to worship with kids they see at school Monday through Friday. I started looking ahead to their teenage years with dread. Knowing myself well enough, I already despised driving the 30 plus minute commute back and forth to church so the kids could attend youth groups and small groups.

I want to invite friends to church with us.  But so far no one is willing to make the drive, once they find out where it’s located.  But we love our church.  It’s where we met and married, where we raised our babies.  Our hearts were challenged, set free and given hope at this church.  We love and will always love our church.

This summer Greg and I started two-timing on our church.  Twice a month we attended a new church, a local church.  Our kids have friends from school in their new Sunday school classes, my cousin’s kids too.  Every other Sunday we made the drive across town to our old church, where we continued to teach Sunday school during second service.

At the end of August, on Greg’s birthday actually, we decided to go to the new church for first service and our old for second. I’m glad we doubled up that Sunday because it resulted in a Come to Jesus Moment, at least for me.   I basically ugly cried all the way down I-5 because the message at the new church was the vision God gave them about building a new building to reach the demographic circle of unchurched people in the areas slightly north of our house, down past Willis Tucker to the East, to Fred Meyer in the West and into the city of Mill Creek.  What about 35th?  Well, the church property happens to be located on 35th.

Who am I that God would prepare my heart in advance and include me in this glorious new thing to come?

We have no idea what roles we are supposed to play in this new thing.  God will speak when we need to know it. All I know is that we have a tremendous love for our neighborhood and surrounding community. I know God is doing a new thing here and we are supposed to be part of it.

I don’t want to overly spiritualize this journey but I believe with all of my heart that God has gone before us to call us to something new, something we might not have been on board with had he not gone ahead to prepare the way.

This new adventure is hardly confidential.  Yet we spoke very little of this part of our story aloud, even to those who are closest to us.  We didn’t want to say anything until we were certain.

I’m sensing in my bones and in the deepest parts of my soul that now is the time.  We are entering a new season, a beautiful, splendid and scary-because-it’s new, season.  The Spirit is leading.  Our hearts are stirred.  Now is the time to go.