Where My Heart Is...

Well, the Lord has been dealing with me for months now. Since we've left WCC and it was so disheartening for me I've really had to examine my need or the purpose of a church body as a whole.

At times, early on after we left WCC I found myself thinking, I would be better off at home on Sunday AM in the Word with Charles Stanley on CBS @ 8:00am. But the Lord never ceases to amaze me as He dealt with me personally on my need and desire to serve Him through a church body.
We visited one church in particular right after leaving WCC, Elevation Church! We stayed for a few weeks and then visited Central Church of God since we had attended there many years ago. After a few weeks there, we learned of a new start up church that was partnered with Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta Georgia. We visited there and again ran into people that we knew but very quickly God showed Dave and I that we were not to settle and commit there. We went back to Central and the whole time our two children were miserable. They were being cooperative with Dave and I as we searched what God wanted for our family but they were clearly not happy and felt very disconnected to community of any sort.

So, after an unfortunate situation with Josh on a Sunday morning at Central, Dave and I felt we should return to Elevation with our kids. The following Sunday we did and from that moment on I've felt an assurance that God is real in this body of believers, He's honored in this body and He's moving supernaturally and powerfully! Elevation's vision statement is played out in everything they do and the oneness of the leaders there is comforting.

In 2 years they've gone from 25 members to over 4,000 in attendance and have maintained a high standard for honoring Christ the whole time. After being on staff and in a ministry role and experiencing pride at it's highest degree played out on a daily basis, it is so exciting to see a Pastor in his role and see him demonstrate a pure heart of surrender to the Lord and HIS (the Lord's) church. He recognizes who's church it is and he is absolutely sold out to obeying what God asks of him and entrusts him with. I gladly call him Pastor Furtick not because I want to "'pump" him up or make him feel important (he is important) but to respect him for what God has called him to do .

I guess what I'm getting at is this, about 6 months ago my heart was hurting and grieving because everything I wanted to be a part of was never going to be in our church that we had poured ourselves into but now God has restored my joy for serving in a church and reassured me that He can call us out and we can trust Him.

I trust that God is moving throughout Elevation Church and I feel so privileged to be a part of what He wants to accomplish through this body of believers.

Jeremiah 29:11 ..."for I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not to harm you..."

Even though there were many months of wondering why we were going through some of the things we were going through He knew the whole time that He had called us to Elevation and in order to get there we had to walk the road he laid out for us. I've grown, I've been stretched and I feel certain I can now trust!