Commissioning & Ordination
At the end of the sermon two weeks ago, our launch team was asked to come forward. Our pastor and his wife stepped out not knowing who was in attendance from the launch team. However, within a few minutes, our launch team took their place beside and behind the pastor and his wife. It wasn’t just a few here or there. Their faces lit up when they realized the large launch team that was now surrounding them. We all stood arm to arm and spanned across the front of the church.
The pastor of this church just so happens to be our pastor’s father. How truly special this was – the commissioning and ordination service – with the father and mother standing before their son as this portion of the service began.
Our pastor’s father asked their church members to fall in behind us, as several of their prayer team came in front to lay hands on all of us. As they prayed, each of the launch team was anointed with oil, as we were commissioned and ordained for God’s service.
What a humbling experience. I was overcome with emotion and moved to tears.
I pray God will use us to reach others in the community so lost souls will be saved.
As you can tell, we are extremely excited to be a part of this new church launch. While my most recent posts the past two weeks have been about this church launch, not all posts in the future will be of this nature. However, God is doing great things, and I want to shout it from the rooftops! What better way than to document it on my blog as God has allowed us to be a part of this journey!
The Prodigal Son
Two Sundays ago, our pastor asked the launch team to join him and his wife at their former church. There, the church were going to commission us at the end of the service after he preached as a guest that morning. We didn’t know who all would be able to attend, but we felt sure several would be in attendance.
Our pastor preached on the prodigal son, but he focused on how the father ran! While his son was returning, he ran to him! At the end of the sermon, he showed a brief video of a son calling his father and leaving a message on the answering machine. For whatever reason, the relationship had been strained, the son had not been home nor in touch with his father for quite some time. As the son struggled with his feelings and emotions, he finally told his father that he would understand if his father did not wish to see him. However, he asked if the father did want to see him to please put a white sheet out on the fence. If he rode by and did not see the white sheet, he would know not to stop. The next clip of the video showed the elderly father walking up his driveway to place a white sheet on the fence. Not only that, but the father had white sheets along the fence line all down his driveway. When you reached the house, there were several white sheets hanging on the porch as well.
Tears begin to fill my eyes as I watched.
Even though it was “just a video,” sadly, being disconnected from family was real life for an elderly lady sitting to my left in another section of the congregation. She began to sob uncontrollably when the video began to play as the son was leaving the message for the father. This lady’s heart was breaking!
At the end of the video and end of the sermon, the pastor said he hadn’t planned on having an altar call. That quickly changed, and he felt the Spirit moving so he invited people to come. Whatever the need, just come to the altar. If they needed a touch from God, come. If they were turning their lives over to God, come. If they needed prayer, just come!
This elderly lady stepped forward and made her way to the altar along with her husband. She approached our pastor, and he began to pray over her. She shook with every heartbreaking sob that escaped her lips. Feeling the heartache from where I was, I knew I could not stay where I was standing in the pew. I made my way down to the altar and wrapped my right arm around her shoulder as I stood with her praying over her situation and her broken heart.
After the service when my husband and I were in the vehicle, he asked me how I knew the elderly lady. He was surprised to learn that I didn’t know her personally. I told him I felt God laying it upon my heart to go to her and pray with her, so I obeyed.
Sometimes when you feel a nudge or a still small voice speaking to you, obey. You never know who needs you to come alongside them and pray with them. You never know their story, and you don’t need to. You just need to be obedient.
Reach Out
This past Sunday with all the busyness of unboxing chairs, putting up drape, etc., it would have been real easy to overlook a few teammates that were missing. As I looked around, scanning the group of volunteers, I made a mental note of the ones not in attendance. Shortly thereafter, my husband walked over to tell me two members arrived, then turned around to leave within a few minutes of their arrival. Not knowing what took place, I could have just shrugged it off and left it alone. However, as I continued to work, this young lady kept coming back to my mind. I felt like God was tugging on my heart to reach out to her, so I was obedient.
“I just wanted you to know that I’m praying for you right now.”
That one heartfelt sentence changed everything.
The young lady texted back a few times, then returned to the school, which will be our “church,” asking in the text message for me to look for her. And I did.
It started off a little awkward, as I had never talked to her in depth before, but it didn’t take long for her to realize I was a sincere and safe person for her. She began pouring her heart out to me, and tears started flowing.
This young lady felt hopeless, worthless, and without purpose at times. She had anxiety and depression along with other things, which will remain confidential. Had I not reached out and been obedient to the Lord, she would have continued to carry this with her, which absolutely breaks my heart.
I took time with her that morning to remind her that God has her here for a very specific reason. While I’m not sure of the plans He has for her life, she very much has a purpose in God’s kingdom. She just needed a reminder.
One of my absolute favorite bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Cling to that when you need a reminder as well.
