A Fresh Start

Sorry for the quiet Blog page for a long time now. It's been a very busy time!

We’ve been in Wheaton, Illinois for over a week now. I’ve officially been in my new ministry position for five days. It has been a whirlwind of a couple of days. The general consensus in my mind is that though being a Lead Pastor will be difficult and overwhelming in certain occasions… the power of a fresh start has never been so real to me.

Truth be told, I was pretty unhappy in my last job for the better part of two years. There were lots of different reasons for that… and there is no sense in revisiting them in this forum… but this change has been a ‘re-charger’ for me. I am in over my head. And that’s good. I am being stretched and challenged… and forced to lean on God’s strength.

I noticed this week that I enjoyed some of the things I thought would be uncomfortable to me… like home visits. The people have really responded to my various visits. I’ve got more scheduled for next week. Making leadership decisions is something that I’m still getting used to. There have already been a few issues pop up that need to be addressed in a decisive way. My prayer is that I decide with God’s wisdom… see each decision through to the end with firm resolve BUT also display a humble spirit to those who may disagree.

I am also really beginning to beg God to help me dream. What kind of influence can this church have in their community? How successful could we be? What ministries could we offer? What does God intend for Wheaton Wesleyan?

District Conference was yesterday. It was the most enjoyable District Conference I’ve attended… mostly because I knew so many people. I’m not going to need to work hard to network in this district.

The area is pretty neat. Wheaton will be a great area for my kids to grow up in. I will always have fond memories of the St. Peters area… it was such a great place to live… but I think Wheaton will be fantastic as well.

The parsonage is gorgeous. The church renovated it right before we got here and it turned out to be spectacular. They put in top of the line appliances… the kitchen is completely new from head to toe. The master bedroom is huge and you should just see Emily’s room! Huge! She really likes it! Emily has a very large area to play in and the church property is beautiful… there are trees everywhere. It will be fun to see what a fall looks like around here.

Anyway, all said and done, we had a great first week. My installation service happens tomorrow and I have family coming into town for it. I have the privilege to receive a member into membership tomorrow as well. My first sermon is Father’s Day. Our house still isn’t completely unpacked… but we are getting there slowly but surely. I have decided to take Monday as my day off for the time being. I will try and post pictures of the parsonage later in the week.

I’ll try to keep updating the site for those of you who are interested.