Grace, Grads, and Gratitude
It’s been a while since I “reported” in! Man, has it been a crazy, amazing, G0d-orchestrated, few months. Let me lay it our for you:
Grace- I am now serving as the new lead pastor of Grace Community Church in Centennial, Colorado- south side Denver Tech Center area. I’m actually kicking off this great, new adventure this weekend, June 4-5, speaking in all three services. Visit this link for some video of the “story” regarding how Jo Ann and I now find ourselves in Denver, leading this great missional church: www.weallneedgrace.com/#/welcome/whats-happening. Grace was a church plant back in the day before church planting was all the rage. It’s had three great men at leading it’s efforts, all of whom built strategically on a great missional foundation and significantly contributed to Grace truly being an outward focused, on mission with Jesus, group of people! I know God has put us here, at this time, very intentionally, to continue to live out this purpose. We have great people who will be serving alongside of us and we look forward to expanding the Kingdom! We’ve already found a house in the area and will be moving permanently the last week of June!
Grads- I will also continue to serve as the Director of the XA Network, and actually, have never been more excited and convinced that the time for this strategy is NOW! As most of you know, the database systems is online and available- go to www.xanetwork.org. and currently over 500 missional church plants, churches, and other organizations have registered. We continue to prioritize efforts with Church Multiplication Network to enable this and plan to begin ramping up with XA groups and students this Fall and Spring. The XA ELT, and especially Scott Martin- XA Network functions under the Student Mission purview, have been incredibly supportive and encouraging of my transition to leading GCC, as well as continuing to direct the efforts of XA Network. We hope to form a leadership team in the next few months to further enhance and develop XA Network so that it truly is a viable means for graduating XA students to get connected to missional marketplace opportunities- thus enabling XA’s mission to transform the marketplace.
Gratitude- I simply cannot overstate the fact that God has placed some incredibly outstanding people in my life! From Harv Herman, who initiated me into XA, to Dennis Gaylor, Scott Martin, the entire ELT, regional directors, others in XA (You all know who you are!), to the Lifehouse Church Network guys, to some amazing friends and family, to our new relationships at GCC; Jo Ann and I are truly the definition of what it means to be BLESSED! And for these folks, for the seasons of ministry past, and for this new season we now enter, we are forever grateful to God and to all of you!!!
