Well tomorrow is the big day. We are finally moving to Asheville. Another step of faith in this journey we have been on for almost 2 years.
Just a quick recap in case you haven't been reading my blog long or I haven't seen you in a long time.
About 2 1/2 years ago some plans we had for working with Urban Harvest Ministries fell through. The funding they thought would be there didn't come. This was hard because I had already quit my other job and was working for them full time. But the position I had and the one Stephen had were cut because of finances. So this left us confused, jobless, and praying about what God would have for us next.
During this time God started strengthening our faith about how he provides. Even if it just one step, one pay check, one verse, one word of encouragement at a time.
Stephen decided to build up his business that he had started as a part time job in school and just wait on God. He got plugged in with the Rescue Mission here in Greenville and other various things, built his business, built his marriage, and his walk with God.
He has felt a call to church plant ever since he was saved about 9 years ago but didn't know when, where, how, etc.
One day he got a call from the hospital in downtown Asheville to give an estimate to pressure wash their hospital. (It is the only time he has gotten a call from out of state to pressure wash.) When he got there they gave him the master key to look at the building and eventually he found himself on the roof. He was up there just minding his own business when he suddenly felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit. He looked around at the city around him and felt "it is here". He panicked. He tried to ignore it. He didn't even tell me for several weeks because he didn't want to go. But eventually he couldn't run anymore. So he started studying the city and learning about it and found out that he really is uniquely set up to minister to this city.
Asheville has two very different cultures that are mashed together. You have the typical Southern culture that is moralistic, somewhat christian influenced, and the mountain folk whose families have lived in that area a long time.
Then you have the "new asheville" that is called the San Francisco in the South. The scene is drugs, new age, withcraft, homosexuality -- as the negatives. The cool things about this culture are the arts, creative, music side, of it.
Stephen understands both. He grew up in a home like the old Asheville and from 18-22 he was in a lifestyle of drugs and craziness similar to the new Asheville.
Both need the gospel. This is what we hope to bring to Asheville.
So after establishing that this is where we were going he started praying about how to get there and learning more about church planting. While he pressure washes he listens to sermons and so he would listen to about 20 a week and found ministries like Acts29 that have tons of free sermons on church planting. So he would listen to these along with his regular bible teaching.
Almost 2 years ago he went to a church planting Bootcamp and learned about Great Commission Ministries. This was like the missing link to the puzzle. They could do a lot of the administrative work in the beginning, give accountability and support for fundraising, and coaching.
So he went through the long application process, and that next January he went down for week of interviews and training. The last step they wanted for him to be accepted was a supervisor. They wanted him to have someone who understood church planting since he was inexperienced in it.
God provided that in an amazing way. 6 months earlier Stephen had met a man named John Reeves. Him and his wife had planted 6 churches. He likes to start the church and move on and let others run it. They randomly met in downtown Greenville one day and Stephen and I had started visited their plant some on Sunday nights and getting to know their family. Cheryl (his wife) became a huge inspiration for me in way she helps John and the way she raises her children (they have 6). John agreed to be his supervisor and he was accepted with GCM.
Stephen decided to raise half of a salary and to keep his business in Greenville to compensate the second half. So even in this we see how good it was that he has spent these years running his business. Just when he was about to start fund raising I got pregnant. Which was a surprise because of some fertility issues I have but a huge blessing! At the same time Stephen landed a huge contract with large plant being built here in Greenville. So he decided to do this job and use the money to pay for our baby bills and wait on the fundraising.
Then about 2 weeks before the baby was born he knew he couldn't put it off anymore. He needed to start. This was so scary. The week he started was the week the stock market to its first big plunge, I was getting ready to quit work with the baby, and with him working 20 hours a week with GCM that was less money coming in from his business.
He felt God take him to 2 passages in the Word that week. The one was with David and Goliath--that God would do what seemed impossible. And the other was with Elijah being fed by ravens and a widow in the midst of the drought. That even in seemingly hard times God would take care of us.
So he started and little by little the money came in and was committed. One person at a time. One donor at a time. By Feb we were at 60% but then it was like it just stopped. We were kind of stuck. It was like this for a few months. We really wanted to be close to our support goal before we moved because Stephen will already be driving to Greenville once a week for business and he didn't want to drive here for fund raising too. But about a month and a half ago one of Stephen's dear friends was praying for us. He called Stephen and said, I feel like you should go ahead and move to keep momentum and to take that step of faith.
So we decided to take the plunge. We started looking for places. We got a mortgage but decided to rent for at least 6 months to get to know the area. We found an apartment right in downtown Asheville that was having a special rate. We thought it would be a good place to meet people.
Well as soon as we committed to go the Lord honored that. Our support jumped up almost 25% in a matter of weeks.
We are now pretty close to our goal. When we move Stephen will continue to fundraise to get that last bit of support then GCM will release him to assignment. We have people in Greenville who want to to drive up and help us when we first start gathering our core group. (It's only and hour away)
I interviewed two days ago for a preschool teacher job (just 9-12:45 two or three days a week). I can take Buddy with me and he can get free preschool. If I get it this will be a good way for me to meet people in Asheville and make a little extra money.
We have made some connections up in Asheville already as well. And Stephen meets with some pastors there and prays with them once a month. There is one pastor that is open to a church planter using his church's sanctuary. Their church is older and they have shrunk down to the chapel. He doesn't think his congregation is equipped to reach out to the "new Asheville" but he still has a heart for it. His building is right in downtown and we are hoping this may work out.
We need a lot of prayer. Stephen has already had some major spiritual warfare since he started fundraising. We have heard Asheville has around 900 new age centers. Even yesterday with us getting ready to move tomorrow Stephen has come down with a terrible virus in his eye that has left him bedridden. Please pray for him. I am not saying this is spirtual nessesarily but I have been praying hard that the Lord would heal him so he can get the things done he needs to today. He is taking medicine and lots of supplements.
Well I am sorry this is so long but my goal in this was to just give some background and information on what we are doing and hopefully you can check back from time to time and pray for us! If any of you are ever in Asheville please visit or if you know anyone in Asheville we would love their contact information. Have a great weekend!
