A Purpose Encounter

While at the little league playoffs, I met a family that had attended epic for a while. I met half of Hanford there in fact. But to my point... In a brief catching up conversation in which the family shared with me their journey to another worshipping community and their efforts to make connections there, they shared that they are in the midst of the adoption process, through a California state adoption. We talked a bit about the details of that, and I shared that Rhonda and I hoped to adopt in the future because we feel like we have plenty of love to share and see it as a ministry opportunity since Jesus made care for orphans a primary responsiblity in the Christian community. (As a side note... the future is quite a ways off... Our child raising plate is quite full at the moment with our three very young children.)

In that conversation the father in the family I was visiting with shared that he would really like to help other families get through the adoption process with more ease than he and his wife experienced in their attempts to adopt. I'm sure he saw my jaw drop and then I shared with him that one of our visions for epic as a serving ministry was to collect funds and help people through the process of adoption because it is a Christian necessity to care for orphans. And that Christians have the best kind of love to share with needy kids.

There was an instant God moment taking place. We both knew that this was the fulfillment of a vision God had given and a purpose God was developing in us. I love it when these things come together. In fact these moments have become my favorite moments in ministry. They are what keep me going.

I find these moments so powerful that I have been very resistant to over-planning the steps of epic's development just so God can provide these moments. Moments when His visions meet up with his servants and they powerfully come to life in our church. This is so much better than guilt-motivated recruiting. When someone connects with their purpose through their spiritual gifts and their God-given guidance, it's ministry that lasts and succeeds. Middle School Ministry at epic is an example of this, Debra's notorious ministry to the underprivileged, our High School Intern, Growth Classes, and so much more are example of this at work for us. I just love it.

If you are part of epic and have a ministry that you can see God developing... tell someone. We want to make it happen. If you are a Christ-follwer in any worshipping community and have this development happening... tell someone. I experience Gos so much more when I am active in ministry than I do anywhere else. You will too!