Great Admiration

Last week, our Elder Team hosted a series of "church chats" to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges we face at Hope. The feedback was incredible, and we took the time to listen to every comment. On Monday evening, we spent hours evaluating what we heard, thinking through the implications, and playing "what if" games with several different scenarios when it comes to adjusting our weekly schedules, expanding our leadership structure, working on a more intentional strategy for youth and kids ministries, and much more. I didn't get to bed until midnight, and even then I spent a big chunk of the evening awake thinking through it all, praying, and seeking God's continued leading. Yesterday, we discovered a couple of snags that still need to be chased down before we present final decisions to the church next weekend. I suspect we'll need to meet again this week before we're ready.

But through it all my admiration of Rod & Tim just continues to increase. These guys really understand the biblical task of shepherding. Just listening to their hearts encourages me! They both have a passion for helping people along their spiritual journeys. They can think strategically about the church and still be sensitive to the different and conflicting opinions and desires of our diverse community. It's obvious how much they care about people and how much they desire God to be glorified. They are true leaders and servants, and I feel deeply honored to be serving alongside them. I cant' wait to see who else God has in store for us as a team in the growing years ahead!