God is amazing and has done so much in my life the past 3 years since I made Him the centerpiece of everything I do.
Over the past 2 years my wife and I have become heavily involved in children's ministry at our church and have felt called to do so full time, eventually as children's pastors. Our children's pastor and his family have been mentoring ours and teaching us along with another family that are close friends with who are children's pastors in another state. This past fall we also began going through our denomination's ministry classes to become credentialed. So over the past year we've been waiting to feel the call to go out on faith and apply for a full time position, all while we were preparing.
Well that call has come but in a very unanticipated way. Our children's pastor and their family are leaving to begin a new season of their life, consequently our senior pastor has asked us to take over this position voluntarily. At some point down the road when finances improve they will add us on full time. I praise God for this opportunity and am humbled by it.
But that's just half of what God has done.
I work in a factory for my full time job on 2nd shift (involuntarily moved to 2nd shift). Due to my management position and the number of lines I am responsible for I am required to work Saturday and Sunday whenever any of them are scheduled. So for the past 18 months I have had to work every Saturday, minus holidays and vacations, plus the occasional Sunday. Going into ministry this was going to be a big issue to say the least. But God had a plan. A month ago a position opened up, also on 2nd shift, which is in quality control, is salaried and a 40 hr per week job. I applied for it, interviewed before Christmas and for 3 weeks heard nothing but the occasional rumor. Well last week pastor texted me on Wednesday to tell me he wanted to meet about children's church, which was of course the offer to take it, and on Friday HR called me to the office to offer me the new position. The only bad thing is its still 2nd shift but I have weekends off and a much better chance to eventually transfer to 1st shift. So in the space of 3 days God brought everything to fruition.
All this occurred in the middle of a 21 day Daniel fast, so God does reward those who honor Him. Not only that but the day pastor texted me was the exact halfway point of the fast, a day that I was going without food and praying as much as time would allow.
The new job also will have me going to Japan in March for some training which is another great opportunity. Now in a year, 2 years , 5 years, whatever God's plan is, I may leave my job for full time ministry either at my current church or another. But until that time God has made it possible for me to minister in the best possible position at my job and His timing is perfect. I give Him praise and I do all I do for His glory!
Over the past 2 years my wife and I have become heavily involved in children's ministry at our church and have felt called to do so full time, eventually as children's pastors. Our children's pastor and his family have been mentoring ours and teaching us along with another family that are close friends with who are children's pastors in another state. This past fall we also began going through our denomination's ministry classes to become credentialed. So over the past year we've been waiting to feel the call to go out on faith and apply for a full time position, all while we were preparing.
Well that call has come but in a very unanticipated way. Our children's pastor and their family are leaving to begin a new season of their life, consequently our senior pastor has asked us to take over this position voluntarily. At some point down the road when finances improve they will add us on full time. I praise God for this opportunity and am humbled by it.
But that's just half of what God has done.
I work in a factory for my full time job on 2nd shift (involuntarily moved to 2nd shift). Due to my management position and the number of lines I am responsible for I am required to work Saturday and Sunday whenever any of them are scheduled. So for the past 18 months I have had to work every Saturday, minus holidays and vacations, plus the occasional Sunday. Going into ministry this was going to be a big issue to say the least. But God had a plan. A month ago a position opened up, also on 2nd shift, which is in quality control, is salaried and a 40 hr per week job. I applied for it, interviewed before Christmas and for 3 weeks heard nothing but the occasional rumor. Well last week pastor texted me on Wednesday to tell me he wanted to meet about children's church, which was of course the offer to take it, and on Friday HR called me to the office to offer me the new position. The only bad thing is its still 2nd shift but I have weekends off and a much better chance to eventually transfer to 1st shift. So in the space of 3 days God brought everything to fruition.
All this occurred in the middle of a 21 day Daniel fast, so God does reward those who honor Him. Not only that but the day pastor texted me was the exact halfway point of the fast, a day that I was going without food and praying as much as time would allow.
The new job also will have me going to Japan in March for some training which is another great opportunity. Now in a year, 2 years , 5 years, whatever God's plan is, I may leave my job for full time ministry either at my current church or another. But until that time God has made it possible for me to minister in the best possible position at my job and His timing is perfect. I give Him praise and I do all I do for His glory!
