I remember the phone call like it was yesterday. I was still reeling from all the great stuff that had happened in only a month. Within a month, we were able to move into the home we needed for the church plant. Our group meetings had become more exciting as the air was charged with excitment about what God would do with our little small group, and we had some new visitors who i really liked. Then, I got the call.
"Sorry Kevin. But the contract was signed last night. We sold the house."
We had two weeks to move out.
Ugh! I think that's what went through my mind. Ugh! Now, there was a redeeming moment. The owner told me that she had a friend that owned a larger home only 5 houses down. She also hadn't been able to sell her home in the last couple of years. Laurie would give us the same deal. While, I was appreciative that we had another place to live, I wasn't too excited about moving into the same situation. This was tough, because I believe in that saying: "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."
I saw the house, and honestly I wasn't impressed. It was great for smaller meetings, but the livingroom was small. It didn't win me over. It took a week of praying to decide to move forward. Within two days, we had completely emptied out 4805 Swiss Ave, and filled 4835 Swiss Ave. It was hilarious to see us pick up furniture, and carry it 5 houses down! But that was just a few small things. We loaded and unloaded a truck and van.
We are still in the yellow house today. And it has grown on me. But God reminded me of a little lesson there. Church is not about the building. It never was, and it never will be. I was defining success as a leader by the quality of the building. And I should have known better, because I personally believe that we as the church need to put our love, energy and money towards God and people, not buildings and programs.
Thank you Father for your wisdom :).
What is the Church? The Church is the people you see below. Buildings are temporary. We are eternal.
We as a group began to find ways to hang out more and become better friends. We did outdoor lazer tag (yeah, I never heard of it either), and yours truly captured the flag (but couldn't shoot himself out of a tin cup).
Still, we found even more ways to hang out. We had natural opportunities to get together, like Deb and Ramon Padilla's wedding shower. Also, Some of the members were a part of New Food
Tuesday, which the rest of us attended here and there. But, the dudes needed their time. So, we began poker night every Sunday night. While, it wasn't strictly, male-only, it became that way.
Personally, I began to meet with several of our guys in the group for accountability and prayer outside of the study time. I love our Wednesday night meeting, but my most profound self-discovery has been at coffee with Ramon Padilla, Steven Rodriguez, Matthew Hill, and PJ Dunn, Tim Pike and Steve Wade. Godly dudes!
As our small group became more intentional about being the church, not all of them stayed. Some that you saw in February and March are on a different path. As it is in all groups, God calls some people on one path, and other on another path. But they are all still our family.
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