:: AIP#5 - How the Journey Started (part 3) ::

Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July weekend! I'll begin this week by wrapping up our journey up to this point. Last week I explained some of how God's been prepping us for this for years, and last summer's phone call which launched us into this world. Beginning September 2009, we found ourselves in a whirlwind of activity, all of which has helped us get to this upcoming launch of The City Church.

Assessments
After much thought, prayer, conversation, and seeking wisdom and prayers from others, Jess and I went to Austin in September and interviewed with the folks in charge of the church planting residency. Over the following weeks we were very affirmed from every direction - friends, family, and the folks in Austin all felt good about taking the next step.

That next step was entering the world of Acts 29 church planting network, for further assessment. Just to get to the face-to-face assessment interview, we went through a 15-step process, including everything from questions about Jess and my testimony and call, our marriage and family, theology, strategy, two personality tests, and preaching sample, and more - and that was just phase one! It literally took a month and 35 typed pages to complete. But it ended with a three-day "boot camp" in November, where for two days, Acts 29 leaders (Mark Driscoll, Darrin Patrick, Matt Chandler, Matt Carter, JR Vassar, Jonathan Dodson, and others) encouraged and exhorted potential planters and shared the vision for the network. The third day, Jess and I were officially assessed by pastors Barry Keldie, Thomas Young, and David Pinckney, and with very encouraging words, were officially approved as planters in the Acts 29 network [note: as of this week, we'll be up on their "candidate map"].

As a sidenote, one thing I came to hugely appreciate about both Austin and Acts 29 through the application process was the thoroughness and intensity of the assessment: they are NOT a network that lets any “Joe Blow” walk in off the streets, lending him their support and name just because they want to start a new church: their caution, care, discernment, and pastoral heart in the entire process gave me a ton of respect for this organization, and the assessment was affirming, challenging, and exhorting as we move into this world of planting.

Leaving
The second thing that had to happen over the past few months was getting us from staff at Trinity Chapel to a place where we could focus full-time on the next steps God had for us. Having been ordained in September 2008, I informed the elders and church leadership of our (at that time) potential plans and asked for their prayers and affirmations. Then Jess and I began praying that God would make very clear whether he would have us stay at Trinity Chapel for awhile or leave to begin this pursuit. To make a long story short, God made it very clear indeed that it was time for us to go, and as much as we didn't understand some of the circumstances surrounding our leave at the time, it has become very clear since then that God's hands have been all over this, and in May 2009, one chapter of our lives closed as almost immediately, another opened.

Arriving
Within two weeks of our last day at Trinity Chapel, we had been in touch with three different churches and three church planting organizations, who are all interested in supporting The City Church, sending us with funding and coaching into this endeavor. Some of them made comments like "we're talking at the perfect time" and "we've been hoping for this to happen for three years" - it was clear that we were in the right place. Due to the economy, doors shut at the Austin church planting residency, but as one church planting pastor asked me, "would you just go to Austin because you know it would be safe? You've planted a church - you have that experience already." So with two doors shut (Trinity Chapel and Austin), and MANY affirming circumstances pointing us toward the third option, we again prayed, fasted, sought advice and wisdom, and began work on planting a new church in Fort Worth.

So here we are! That's the journey to this point - along the way, we considered leaving the state; heading to the Rockies or London (crazy, we know!), looking for a "strategic city" who needs Jesus. So why did we end up staying in Fort Worth? We feel like we found exactly what we were looking for, but I'll explain that beginning tomorrow...