I’m nervous. I’m excited. I’m waiting.
I never knew having two boys could be joyous and challenging all rolled into one. I assumed that the patterns of raising one boy would automatically transfer to our second.
Man, was I wrong. My second is as crazy, if not crazier, than my first. And, yes, a face full of food is the norm for my second spawn.
And, as I patiently wait for our third bundle of craziness, I can’t help but think about the birth of another endeavor. Not only will 2013 mark the addition of another boy into our stable, but this coming year marks the expansion of our church movement. By this time next year, my family, a deranged group of Jesus lovers, and I will be on a journey toward planting a church in Long Beach.
I look forward to learning (or in my case relearning) the Long Beach culture. I look forward to falling in love with the city. I, more importantly, look forward to falling in love with the people of Long Beach.
One thing is for sure…how we’ve done church in the past will definitely look different in Long Beach. As with the parental approach in raising three boys is different each time, so is planting the Gospel in different cities. How we do church in one city is going to be different in another. I’m a firm believer that planting a prefabricated church model into a city isn’t necessarily going to produce the same successful results that it did in another.
The excitement comes from having the opportunity to love, to learn, and to live in a culture that we will eventually become a part of. I look forward to learning from Long Beach. I’m looking forward to growing with the people of Long Beach. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Long Beach culture to work together for the common good.
I’m excited to share the love of Jesus along the way and to see people’s lives transformed.
I’m nervous. I’m excited. I’m waiting.
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