Sectional Meeting

Last Night’s Meeting:

Last night was the Eastern Section minister’s meeting. I was given about 10 minutes to share the vision of the new church. It was my chance to make a public presentation of my calling, and present an invitation for churches to partner with me.
I approached my presentation this way:

God’s Person.
In this section I presented my history as a homegrown product of Pasadena A/G and the Eastern Section. I shared the story of my calling. Then I asked Pastor Phil to make a statement.
He shared that he was convinced of my calling, submissive to the district, and Expected every church in the section to support the new church. (Then he paused, and cocked his head sideways and just stood silently, and I said, “Say it Again.” And everyone laughed, and he said it again.”

God’s Provision.
The fact that God is providing:
Matt and Laurie
Open Door and AACC
Families who have committed to come
The Mennonite Church partnership

God’s Partnership.
I shared about Bill Chamberlin saying, “We need 20 churches planted in this area.” That his partnership was a model of what I felt every church in our section should do as they participate.

In all, the meeting was very good. I was really thankful to talk with the pastor’s who were there. I’m thankful for the relationship that our section has. Pastors came and were excited with me. They were talking about how they wanted to help.

Ted Manning, pastor of Ellicott City A/G, has budgeted monies each month for our church plant. The pastor of the Carney Church told me he’d be in touch. Oh….I almost forgot to write the best part of the night.

It was the very beginning. I walked in and Jeff McEllhatan was there. Jeff was one of the presenters for my Church Planting bootcamp. He was a big inspiration for me. He’s planting a church in Colorado. Then! Paul Drost come over and shook my hand. I hadn’t really met Paul before. He can be a bit intimidating. He planted a church in Bel Air, MD and then, years later, was hired to be the National Church Planting Director for the A/G. Now, as of a few months ago, he has come back to the church he planted, and is in our section. He said, “You’re the reason I’m here tonight.”

I said, “Really?”

He said, “Yeah, I was thinking about not coming, but I saw you were on the agenda to talk about church planting, and I wanted to come hear you.”

I said, “Great, no pressure then.” We laughed.

Ok, this post is getting long, but let me just say I had a great dinner with them talking about church planting.