Why I’m Waiting
Posted By Aaron Marcelli on July 24, 2010
“So where are you guys at?” is a question I feel is being asked of us a lot lately as we have become more open about church planting. At times I’m tempted to hang my head, almost ashamed, as I have to confess to others that we are not that far in or we do not have a launch date set yet. I used to feel a lot of pressure to have answers to everyone’s questions and have plans they would approve of, and in doing so approve of me.
Last month though Katy and I attended a church planting conference in Cartersville. Michael Lukaszewski (believe it or not – pronounces the way it looks) is the pastor of Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville and in session one of the church’s ‘Nuts and Bolts’ conference, he really challenged me. He stepped before a group of hundreds of church planters seeking wisdom about church systems and strategies and addressed the deeper issue: spirituality. Michael went through the story of Nehemiah, a book I had already been studying for leadership principles (posts coming soon) and mentioned how though Nehemiah had a passion and a vision, he was still patient and faithful in an extended time of waiting. That time of waiting ultimately caused Nehemiah to be more prepared when his chance to carry out his God-given vision arose.
I’ve never been one to adapt a habit or system just to copy someone else, but after a very honest (and even heated) conversation with my wife on the way home, I determined that I needed to set aside forty days. For the past month (and several more days) I have determined not to take any more steps toward church planting. Rather than raising funds, making plans, and meeting with people, I have prayed. Each morning during this time I have began the day by asking God what my prayer focus should be for the day, and then I have journaled what God has taught me throughout the days.
I have been lead to pray for things like purity, God’s favor, our marriage, and the less fortunate. Most successful church plant stories include unexplained acts of God that will not come to a person or group that is pursuing their agenda and plan rather than God Himself.
So if any of you have wondered why you have not received any church planting updates from me lately, it’s because there simply is nothing to update you on. My focus right now is not progress; it’s not movement. My focus is God. If I don’t make sure I have that right at this point, it will become more and more difficult to realign myself once things are in motion. I’m taking the time now to make sure I don’t see the end as being another church in Chattanooga, but rather being in a place where I hear from God and am able to be used by Him.
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Good for you Aaron, that is important. I am reading a book on that right now by Steve Farrar (I hope that I got that right). I think it is called God built and is about Joshua and Caleb and how they had to wait a long time. I get frustrated sometimes in missions cause I am still the young guy and they are putting me through 50 years of “orientation” when I think that I am “ready.” But really, it is good for me.