Yes, we came, we saw, and we impacted Disney in a great and mighty way.  Thank you soooo much to all of you who helped make it happen.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  For me to not spend at least a week or two blogging about that trip right off the bat means that something else very big has come up, and it has.

I was going to say that it all started late last summer but it started long before that.  As it, the latest push towards this “Big News” did begin late last summer.  I had an opportunity to pursue one new career.  I prayed about it and felt lead to not go after it.  Then, another came up.  Again, I prayed and not only strongly felt that I should not pursue it but felt like a green light was given for something I knew was coming…at some point.

So, years in the making, I along with a few folks embarked on setting up a new ministry/church that would operate in the Penn Hills area.  It would be different but not just for the sake of being different.  It would be centered on minimizing all that bogs down our churches while focusing on God’s love for us and “our world” (where and whatever that is for each person).

Then, God re-introduced me/us to a local congregation who believed very much in the things that God had put on our heart.  They were looking to merge with another congregation as they had experienced some significant challenges along their similar journey.

Several pulpit appearances and a few meetings later (few/several…either way) the folks from Faith Community Church on Jefferson Rd. in Penn Hills voted to merge with our group with me as the Pastor.  I am humbled and in awe of how God has orchestrated this entire venture.  There have been highs and lows but one thing remains.  We are committed to learning how to love, loving each other, and loving “our world.”

I have twice put “our world” in quotes as it is a highly variable description.  You see, “your world” is wherever you are and wherever God calls you to be.  It begins with your spouse/your best friend/your immediate “family” (there I go again).  However, it doesn’t end there.  It extends to your figurative and literal neighbors.  It could be your co-workers or an orphanage in South Eastern Asia.  It could be your son’s little league team or the teen living under a bridge downtown.  Wherever “your world” is, it needs God’s love…through you!

So it all begins (or continues) this week as I preach on Easter Sunday (an appropriate day for new beginnings no?) at 10:45 am.  We are all very excited to see how God directs us as we move forward.  There will be growth and growing pains but one thing is for sure.  People will be loved.  This community will be loved.  God’s love for each of us and our world will be made known, experienced, and shared.

This will obviously not be the last time I write about this new chapter in my life so I won’t go on and on now…now.  I do want to thank all involved who have helped make this happen and have sought the Lord for His direction in this regard.  It should be exciting…