A Journey to Mars

As many of you know, Sarah and I will be moving to Seattle on August 28th, 2007. We knew there was something about Seattle that was calling us the Christmas of 2005 when we visited Sarah's sister Chelsa, and her husband Adam. They took us around the city and we fell in love with the people and the culture.

When we got back to Rocklin after our weekend in Seattle in 2005 we talked with excitement about how cool it would be to live in such a grand city, and for Sarah what a joy it would be living close to her sister. We didn't talk much about it after that for a couple months.

One day in the spring of 2006, the idea of moving to Seattle came up again. I was totally up for the idea, mostly because I have lived in Rocklin my entire conscious life and have been itching to get out for years. We decided to pray about it and see what God would reveal to us on the matter. As I started including the idea of moving to Seattle in my daily prayer over the next few weeks I began, more and more, to come to peace with actually moving. It wasn't just my own desire to move but also that God actually had a will and purpose for us to move to Seattle. I knew the answer, but I didn't say anything to Sarah as I trust her discernment and did not want to sway her decision and influence what she may have heard from God. One night a couple months later as we were almost asleep she rolled over and said "Joel, I think we're supposed to move to Seattle."

That then began the avalanche of brainstorming how and when and what would have to happen... there were lots of questions and we both suddenly became a little frightened to be completely honest.

Skip several months of day to day living strictly by faith to our trip to Africa in August of 2006. (which itself deserves a whole book worth of stories and journeys in faith) The trip nailed down 2 things for us: that we were supposed to move to Seattle, and the journey I had been on to become a pastor was in fact right were I was supposed to be. I had never been so confident in who God had called me to be until that point.

Shortly after our trip to Africa God told me that he would be using me to plant a church in Seattle. My first response was literally "yeah right." Then after he smited me with a bolt of lightning for my disrespect and lack of faith, he gave me confirmation which could not be denied.

Since that time I have wrestled with the implications of starting a church at such a young age. The doubts occasionally flood in: I'm too young, I don't know enough, I don't have enough experience, I don't have a college education, I'm a young married broke dude from suburbia! Thankfully Jesus has always pulled through for me and has yet to let me down. He has always filled in where my abilities cease and I believe he will continue to do so. Not to say it still isn't scary or intimidating.

In February of this year Sarah and I went to Seattle to meet with a pastor of the Acts29 Network, a ministry ran out of Mars Hill Church in Seattle that plants churches all over the world. He told us what it took to church plant and the path we need to take to get there.

The plan currently is to return in July to make housing/job arrangements and meet with Pastors of current church plants in Seattle to find one in which Sarah and I could come along to learn and experience church planting for a year or two before we ourselves spearhead a church plant in Seattle.

We will be using this blog from now on to keep everybody updated with the move, the church we will eventually be planting, and any other 'Joel and Sarah' updates. Kids are still a couple years out in case you were wondering. I will also be posting my thoughts on basically about everything, especially faith/theology, philosophy, and thoughts on life. Maybe every once-in-a-while a review on a good brew, book, band, or something else starting with a 'b'.

Thanks so much for your love and prayers.

Peace with you,
Joel

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