Opportunity Knocks!

This is a season during our process in planting LifeStone Church where many opportunities are coming our way.  We are so grateful for these opportunities but can’t neglect the fact of how important they really are!  All we can do is trust in God that He is in control and leading the way!  Here are some opportunities that are currently in the mix:

1. Building Search – We are currently searching for the building God wants us to use as our home base.  This building will be used for Sunday/weekly services and hopefully (if available) office space.  We have scratched our heads for sometime with this issue and a building has recently surfaced as a prime A target venue.  I won’t go into the details of this situation quite yet, but I will say this, we have met with the owner and we have a very good idea of cost, etc.  The owner is such a great guy and really has connected well with us.  This relationship has become very important to us because this owner has undergone some recent difficult family and health situations.  Our hope is that we can be a support to him through this time, and if this is the building God wants us to attain, He will make it happen as a result of relationship, trust, and partnership.  We actually had a chance to pray with this owner during a meeting!  Please pray for financial favor and provision.  If we are going to get this building, we will need God to make it happen!!!
2. Worship Leader – This week will have a very special guest with us.  He is coming from out of state to participate in an informal interview for the position of the main worship leader for LifeStone Church.  This is a very big week in this respect because Jamie and I have been praying about staff ever since we felt the call to plant this church about two years ago.  God is providing a tremendous staff already with the Associate Pastor, Outreach Pastor, Administrative Assistant, and Media Director already on board and ready to plant this church!  This position is a very big one as you might guess.  The worship leader will not only lead worship in our main services, but this person will build a worship ministry from the ground up.  We have been praying for the right person that God desires to lead and build our worship ministry for some time now.  Again, for this very reason, this week is a very big week for us!  Please keep us in prayer as we go through this process!
3. South Side Speaks Venue – Our South Side Speaks group is the beginning group that will eventually plant LifeStone Church in May of next year.  Our whole goal right now is to serve our community and we are doing just that.  Since Jamie and I started leading this group of 4 in the beginning of August, the team has grown to over 40 people!  Since it is really difficult to get everyone’s schedules to all line up on one night, our Thursday night meeting consists of anywhere between 20-30 people, even though we represent over 40.  The reason I share those numbers with you is because our meeting place at a local bagel shop was great for 5-15 people, but when our team is either all there or even half there, we are busting at the seems.  We have been praying for a new location to meet in that will not only meet our current needs but also give us room to grow into in the future.  We have been actively searching for over a month now and it looks as if we have found a great potential spot.  The only problem with this location is that we would have to move our meeting night from Thursday to Wednesday.  This could be a positive thing or negative thing depending on the schedules of our faithful.  Please pray that this search will come to an end very soon and if this is it, may all the scheduling work out in a positive way for the entire team!
4. South Side Kids Fall Festival – This is the last major opportunity I will share with you at this time.  During our surveys in South Side several months ago, we found out that there is currently ZERO community and family events for the kids and parents.  Absolutely amazing!  Just picture us like Charlie dancing in the streets when he found out that he got a golden ticket to visit WIllie Wonka’s Chocalate Factory!  Because there are no events and current opportunities for families to connect, we have been given that “golden ticket” to begin to meet that need.  Hence, the South Side Kids Fall Festival.  We will be doing this event during the trick or treat hours in South Side on Halloween night.  We have teamed up with a local coffee shop whose owners are just fantastic people!  They have allowed us to use their property for this event.  We will be promoting throughout the entire community and hoping that the candy, hot cider, pumpkins, face painting, polaroid family pictures, cookies, and much more will draw the kids and parents are way.  Our goal is to connect with these individuals and let them know that there is a group of people in this community that care about them and want to provide a safe place for their kids.  This event is also a prelude to our big South Side Easter Egg Hunt/Festival the month before we launch!  Please pray for relational connections with families and kids from this area!

I just wanted to give you an update as to what God is up to and many of the cool opportunities God is bringing our way!  Keep praying for South Side and LifeStone Church.  We need more God and more opportunities!