A journey of living the past 10 years at or above 6 figures ($$) to living by faith. God woke me during the night last night and began to have me write. What you see here are my ramblings from last night.
I have been needing to write this post for several months now; however, I just wasn’t ready. I think I need it as much for myself to flesh out in words my feelings. I hope you’ll find a nugget or two within my ramblings that will give you a word of faith for your own life.
LESSONS IN FIGURES
Over the past 10 years I have had the great privilege of serving at some of the greatest and most well known churches in the world. I was fortunate enough to have gone to one of the most well known seminaries in the country in Fort Worth, Texas and began my ministry at a church of 255 in attendance to serving at the executive level of churches of 3000, and two churches over 20,000 in weekly attendance with multiple campuses.
During those times over the past ten years I was honored to have a very nice salary, health, life, dental, vision insurance, church supported HSA’s, retirement, and spending accounts. Not to mention access to up to 3 & 4 weeks of paid vacations and plenty of time to travel and conduct conferences, revivals, training events, etc…
To tell you the truth over these years I truly haven’t worried about anything. During that time my bride and I have lived in 3 different states, had 4 boys, and my bride has been able to be a work at home mother and home school our boys. We have been completely taken care of financially. Never really worrying about bills, car payments, mortgage, etc… In fact, we purchased an investment property in Texas and held it for several years. On other occasions we considered purchasing additional investment properties in Texas just in case we ever considered going back, but never followed through.
LESSONS IN FAITH
In the last 6 months God led us from that life of security in “figures” to join our dear friends Pat & Gina Giraldin in “faith” here in southern California to be church planters. On Christmas Eve we started, “Hope Crossing Community Church” in San Juan Capistrano California (92675)
These past 6 months have been the greatest lesson in faith my bride and I have ever encountered. Placing our home in Florida on the market in late August 2009… (still hasn’t sold - potentially will short sale) to moving our family to southern California completely on faith (several people came together to cover the cost of the move), not having a place to live (literally) until after driving into town the second week of December 2009. Finding a place to rent within days and once again having several families help cover our 1st months rent.
Did I mention that at the time we rolled into town we didn’t have a place to start the church for Christmas Eve.. once again God showed up and gave us San Juan Hills High School Gym on December 14th and hundreds of folks came together to make the start a wonderful success. In the past 5 weeks we have been gathering as a church, God has been impacting and changing lives of the folks in south Orange County… cities like San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel, Las Flores, Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, and Aliso Viejo.
We have never lived an extravagant life; however, God has taught us what we can live without. For the first time since we’ve been married we are renting a house and not owning. We haven’t had TV, Cable, Satellite, house phone, or Internet for 6 months - no biggie - Thank you (Panera Bread) for the use of your free Wi-Fi. We are turning back our lease car this month. I have started riding my street bike full time. We don’t have membership dues to golf or sport clubs so nothing lost there.
God has also stepped Stephanie and I through steps of faith in showing us daily provision. Never in our lives have we been so dependent on daily provisions from God. We have seen God use the gifts/resources of others to pay our rent, cover utility bills, make insurance payments, cover costs of registering our vehicles, provide groceries, and the list goes on. It has been a very humbling experience as for the first time in our lives we have started going to the local food bank once a month. Thank you to every person who has ever given to a local food bank… your generosity is providing for my family… Thank You!
God has shown us that we are so blessed! In light of the world’s problems we are blessed. We live is a free country protected by the wonderful men/women of the armed forces. We are all healthy. We have a great family, great children, loving parents/grandparents, awesome friends, and a church home in Hope Crossing that just blows our minds with love.
God has also shown us that the vision of reaching this community for Christ… Is to die for. It is causing us to die to self and long for their eternal security in a relationship with Jesus. I was reminded just last night that I have no pride left… For those of you who have known me most of my life you know that is a HUGE step for me. From my earlier years I was in it for me… It was about what I could do, what I could prove, and who I was going to become in corporate America and in the American church. I have truly been broken in the past 6 months. Stephanie and I are both looking for part-time jobs to supplement expenses while getting the church off the ground with the ministry team.
The vision God has given us for south Orange County is crystal clear. We (Hope Crossing Community Church) are a Church relieved of imposed boundaries created by religion, rising up from a generation that desires hope and community, gathering together to grow as disciples, loving God, loving others, and leaving a legacy of love in the world.
The communities we are desiring to love here in south Orange County are in dyer need of hope, love, and a legacy. Our vision is to be the Church in our communities, not to them. We want to be serving in our communities through local Government, Schools, Community Organizations, Youth Organizations, and in the lives of individual families. We are committed to the cities of south Orange County for the health of our families and our faith.
Check out these stats: (10 mile ring around Hope Crossing - 9 cities)
- 500,000 people
- 182,000 households
- 24.4% - say it is important to attend a religious service
- 50.5% - consider themselves spiritual
- 18.0% - enjoy watching religious TV
- 35.4% - considering themselves to have conservative Christian values
- 17.3% - say their faith is really important to them
- 25.0% - say they contribute more than $200 a year to a religious organization
I’d like to ask you to consider partnering with us to carry out the vision God has given us at Hope Crossing Community Church. Please consider joining the vision. Your support will change a life, a family, and our community.
Make contributions payable to:
Hope Crossing Community Church
Mail contributions to:
Hope Crossing Community Church
PO Box 4170
Mission Viejo, Ca 92690
Thank you for allowing me to share my journey. I hope that you have seen from my thoughts that my faith is stronger now than ever… on so much less. Being a church planter has shown me a missional-life is a faith-life. Living by faith…
Last night during our bible study and prayer time we studied Galatians 6:9 in the Bible which says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
We will not give up…
Blessings!
Pastor Kerry
Latest Comments
RSS