When we moved to Mobile in August of last year, it was clear that our assignment was to visit as many churches as we could...to come out of our corner, to see how the rest of the body loves Jesus. Our intention was not to find a home, but to learn. Knowing that we have been called into the ministry, at some level at some point in time, we acknowledged that once we do get plugged into a church, we will be obligated to be there each Sunday, so now was our chance to visit around and see the rest of the body.
We visited everything from conservative Southern Baptist to Church of Christ to dancing in the isles and speaking tongues charismatic. It was an awesome season...and a hard season. We were stretched and taught in so many ways. We were blessed to learn about how others worship, pray and teach. It was beautiful to see different sections of the body loving my Jesus. It was hard in other ways...not having a home base or anybody who knew our names, and being faced with things we didn't like or understand. In some cases we could immediately put our finger on something and say, "this is not something we want to duplicate." Other situations or teachings stretched our understanding and forced us to dig, research and lean in to the Spirit's leading. As we entered our fourth month of this season, both Toby and I were becoming hungry for a home...a place to plug in, a place to love others and be loved, a place where encounters with the Spirit would be matched with healthy, grounded Biblical teaching. The problem arose that most of the churches we visited were either one extreme or the other. Any that we had visited that displayed some sort of balance were not home...Papa had not given His peace.
As I shared a while ago, along with our church hopping last fall, came a good bit of loneliness and depression. The day after I let all of that anger and mess go, I happened to have my radio tuned to the Christian radio station...a rarity in my world as I am normally held captive by Psalty, the Singing Songbook. Anyway, I caught the tail end of a blip on the radio for South Coast Church. Because I had become accustomed to seeking out new churches over the last few months, I made a mental note to look it up later. At home I pulled up the website and was drawn in by what I read. The mission and vision statement caught my attention..."At SCC we believe the stronger the foundation the further the reach. In order to accomplish the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ, we must teach people to live by the Word of God, be led by the Spirit of God, and to reach out to others with the love of God." That was it...the balance of Spirit and Truth we've been looking for! (John 4:24) I shared it with Toby that night, and I just couldn't shake it over the next few days.
Please feel free to check out their website to learn more...South Coast Church of Mobile.
So I hear this blip on the radio on Monday. On Tuesday, I was going out of my way to get Haley a Wendy's frosty before making a long trip across town. On our way to Wendy's I noticed a yard sign out of the corner of my eye...South Coast Church. I had to do a double take! We live in a little community just north of Mobile, so I was really surprised to see somebody in our neighborhood that was associated with this church that God had just brought across my radar screen.
On Sunday morning we visited for the first time, totally expectant that God was going to show us something big. We ran into a sweet lady just inside the front door. We told her how we had heard about the church and how we had visited many others in the previous months. Her reply was prophetic..."Well, I think you've found your home." As we found our seats Toby and I looked at each other thinking, that was odd. During the last few days I had searched out a new worship song, but downloaded a different one by mistake..."Your love never fails." I didn't mean to download it, but God's in control of even these little things. I quickly latched on to this new song and listened to it repeatedly throughout the week. So worship started up and what was the first song in the set? Of course, "Your love never fails." It was fairly new then and we hadn't heard it played in a service before...I stood there, stunned. My heart was so overwhelmed and held such a peace that I spent the rest of the worship set literally on my face in the center isle. I felt the months of despair falling off and hope start growing! Could this be our home?
Toby and I walked away from that service with a sense of belonging and an excitement for what God was doing with this body. They were holding a new member type class that evening and I felt compelled to attend...partly out of nosiness, partly out of obedience. Toby stayed home with Haley and I went alone. The pastor spoke about the essentials that a Christian should have in their life and he briefly touched on the foundation and direction of the church. I couldn't argue with one thing that came out of his mouth. We were in complete agreement. He mentioned a womens bible study that would be forming soon and would be led by his wife, so after the meeting I made my way to her. She was busy talking with others, so I ended up talking with another mom I had met that morning. After a 30 minute chat, I discovered that it was her yard sign, 20 miles away, that I had seen earlier that week! We ended our conversation, I had given up on waiting for the pastor's wife, and was getting ready to say goodbye when she opened her arms and pulled me into the sweetest hug. Now, I'm a plenty huggy person myself, so this didn't bother me. What caught me off guard was that she initiated this hug. I melted right there...in the arms of this total stranger! As she embraced me, I felt the Spirit's voice...I know what you need. You will find love here. I walked to my car in an almost out of body experience. That was my first day on that campus and yet I felt like I'd been there for years. In this moment, my soul was more settled than it had been in months. I called Toby from my car..."I think we've found our home."
Toby and I continued to discuss and dream about what kind of ministry God would place us in or what goals and doctrine would be associated with it. After these conversations, it would never fail that our pastor would address the exact issue in his sermon the next Sunday! Toby and I would always glance at each other and exchange an amazed chuckle. This happened, not just once, but at least four or five times. Our God is so good!
In the coming weeks we met with the pastor and his wife, talked with many people in the congregation and leadership, and attended the new member classes. Turns out, this awesome, growing church with God's favor written all over it...it's six months old! Two years ago, this couple was running a very successful aviation company in Tulsa, OK when God asked them to sell their business, return to Mobile (the pastor's hometown) and plant a church...so they did. With their 5 teenagers in tow and great trust and obedience they pulled into Mobile last summer and launched South Coast Church in September 2010. Six months later, we are still seeing lots of new faces every Sunday with an average attendance around 150. I am continually amazed at His faithfulness!
In the months that followed, God has repeatedly brought to mind some wisdom shared with us. Just before we left Tennessee, we met with our pastor and his wife for dinner. While they both shared tons of invaluable advice and wisdom, one statement stands out..."Look for a little church that's just getting started. Get in on the ground floor so you can see all areas of ministry. If you jump on board with a mega church, they're going to put you in charge of left-handed, 7th grade boys and that's all you'll get to see." The accuracy of this statement almost makes me laugh. Our new church home is 6 months old, with one couple running the whole show without pay. I'm not sure how much more "ground floor" we could get! I've found myself telling people, "This is the church we would have planted had we planted it ourselves."
God is good...all the time. I know He had a purpose for the hard months we spent without a home. Some lessons we have already learned, others will come out in due time. But for now, we are thrilled to join forces with this awesome church family and can not wait to see what God has in store for us as a family, for us as a church family, and for the city of Mobile. If you're in the Mobile area and are not settled with a church home, we would love for you to join us! Even if it's strictly out of curiosity...He's not afraid or intimidated by your curiosity, nosiness or questions. C'mon and see what God is doing!
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