Creative Scribble

Securing a facility to meet in is a huge first step for a new church. Without knowing that, you can't plan very much. You don't know what kind or how much equipment you will need. You can't think through marketing strategies. You don't even know how to plan long term (like is the facility big enough to sustain growth over a long period of time?). So getting confirmation this week that we had a home was big news (see below if you haven't already).

What's even more amazing, though, is how God has been working this out for several years - long before I even considered starting a new church or deciding that it should be in Powell. It all started during my days at UT.

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When I got invited to a wedding in the Bahamas, it was more of just a friendly gesture because reality was I wouldn't be able to make that one (as bad as I wish I could have!). The invitation came from a friend of mine that I worked with in college in the athletic department. Over the years since then, we stayed somewhat in contact with each other through different UT events and games so I was able to hear about her career as she became a coach and guidance counselor at Powell High School. When it became clear that we would like to use that facility, she was able to "grease the wheel" for me by talking to the principal ahead of time. I had heard from other church planters that this kind of preliminary contact would make the process much smoother.

After talking to the principal, she let me know that he had no problem with letting us use the facility. The only problem was finding a custodian. Several other churches had approached the school in the past and each time none of the custodians were willing to come on Sundays. That seemed like a setback at first.

But then one morning I was driving to the gym to workout when I almost wrecked into a green station wagon that was in the middle of the road. After I stopped to let the other car go on, I realized that I knew the driver. It was Rob, the BCM custodian at UT. Suddenly it hit me, Rob works at Powell High School! To make a long story short, as soon as I could I told Rob that the principal would let us meet at the school as long as a custodian would do it. Without even blinking, Rob offered to do it for us. Even though he's not technically a custodian at the school, the principal agreed that he would be great to have as our "custodian" to be present each week.

This experience has been another great reminder that God is always a step ahead. It makes me wonder, in awe and amazement, what he is working out right now that I can't see or realize. He was working out this facility for OneLife Church when I met two people more than five years ago who would help make this possible. And now I know he working even more out for us that I will come to find out about another five years from now.

It is comforting to know that God's plans are greater than mine and that he is always a step ahead.