Challenging Meetings

The last two weeks has been full of meetings. I haven't written much about them. I met with the Elders concerning a new lease on our building and our current finances. Met with our Leadership and Creative Teams to plan our Christmas outreach. It went very well and everyone was excited about what we are doing. Met with a local Pastor who is having great success in reaching people in Canton. Talked to him about our next step at Axios and the possibility of partnering together to reach Holly Springs. He was not too receptive to the idea of a partnership. I think that I am an easy guy to write off. I've been at it for 5 years and can't get over 100. He's been at it for 3 and runs several hundred. He's a good man and I consider him a friend. He proceeded to talk to me about shutting down Axios and moving on to what God has next. He believes that God often uses our first attempt at church planting as training and then moves us to where He really wants us to be. That was his experience. He recommended a book by Seth Godin called The Dip: A little Book That Teaches You When To Quit and When To Stick. Two things happend after the meeting: 1) I returned to my office and received and e-mail from my cousin Anne who tells me the story of her church and encouraging me not to quit or be discouraged. (She knows nothing of what I am going through and we have rarely communicated with each other.) 2) I read the book and it did more to convince me that its time to stick and pumped me up about the opportunity that is here. It showed me things that we definitely need to change but I am more convinced now than ever that our church is needed in Holly Springs. I love our church and its people. I love the lives that we have touched and seen changed. I love all the times that God came through with miraculous provision and signs of His presence. I love Holly Springs, Canton, Cherokee County. I love that God planted me and my family here. I could leave it if He called but I believe that He has placed me here for "such a time as this." I can't quit until God does! It is a fire within me that seems to burn hotter now than before. There is a harvest ahead for us. We will press on for as long as God allows!