Several years ago, I had a friend who believed God was calling him to serve as a missionary in a Two-Thirds World country. He and his wife prayed about this for a year, alone and with their kids. (The oldest was eight years old and youngest was 2.)

He continued to feel confident of God’s call to this change, so he quit his job, raised funds, sold possessions, packed up belongings, and moved. I traveled to see him and his family about six months later, and my friend told me, “I think God is calling us back to the United States.” I was convinced about his claim of a call to leave home. I wasn’t so sure God was calling him to return.

I thought about this incident this week after reflecting on my final message in our church’s Dangerous Prayer series. This dangerous prayer was, “Lord, send me.” It seems my friend had prayed this prayer. But still I wonder if he accurately discerned God’s answer. What happens when we pray, “Send me”?

Church, Leadership, LifeTrevor DeVageDecember 2, 2020comfort, calling, comfortable, telephone, difficult, home, stay, sending, send, stay home, fresh, morning, boredom, breakthroughComment

EVERY CHURCH IS NOW A CHURCH PLANT

As every aspect of our daily lives is being reconsidered and refashioned by the pandemic, churches are rethinking their futures, too.

Or at least they should be. But I’m afraid some are anticipating the days ahead only with a vision of the years behind. And I’m convinced this just won’t work.

My thinking on this was influenced by the recent mentoring retreat I attended with Cal Jernigan. As I’ve mentioned before, I get together several times a year with Cal and five other preachers to talk about our lives and ministries. This November the talk naturally included discussions of Covid-19’s impact on the work of the local church. Cal encouraged us to think of our ministries in terms of Pre-Covid, Covid, and Post-Covid. And he helped us realize that Post-Covid ministry will look altogether different than the Pre version.

Church, Leadership, LifeTrevor DeVageNovember 18, 2020church, covid, corona, pandemic, church plant, exhaustion, exhausted, overcoming, new, fresh, starting, pursue, pre-covid, post-covid, possibility, 2021, 2020Comment

Trevor DeVage

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