It's hard to believe all of our possessions are now sitting in a 26' Penske truck. Wow. We just said goodbye to Marion, IN today. The reality of moving still hasn't fully hit yet. It's almost like we're going on a big vacation (one in which we decided we couldn't part with all our belongings), and we'll go back in a few weeks.
But that's not true. We won't see our little brick house on Selby Street for a long time. And when we do it will be filled with foreign decorations and new people. If I had a concrete feeling in me today, I would share it. But right now I don't feel anything. Nothing. No emotion from leaving life behind and starting fresh. No emotion from leaving friends and family 7 hours away. The only thing I "feel" is the ache in my back from lifting boxes this morning. Woohoo.
Tomorrow we'll be with my family in Goshen and go to my brother's 21st birthday party. And Monday we'll leave from Warsaw at 8:00 AM. We should get to Baraboo by around 3:00. We'll unload and then eat dinner at the church. One of the lay leaders at the church, Irene Sainsbury, has arranged for a meal for us...a good sign that we'll love this church from the get-go :).
We'll see what life brings after that. For now, it's bedtime.
Josh
Saturday, August 26
Monday, August 21
Moving in Progress
I'm sick of cardboard boxes, scissors, tape, permanent markers, walking through a house full of accumulated random objects from the past 20-some-odd years, saying good-bye. This has been my life for the past few weeks. Though I'm excited to begin pastoring, this in-between stage needs to end. It's like the feeling you get midway through the first semester of your senior year of college: No more homework, let's just move on with life!
Just so you don't think life is THAT horrible, I do have some good news....God sold our house! Kinda nice, since we've been packing it up. Last month we spoke with Matt and Laura Aspinall, children's pastor at Brookhaven. They loved our house and all the decorations, but weren't sure that it was the right time to buy. So we assumed God had some other plan in mind. Then we had them over to our house at the beginning of the month for a party, and they said they'd look closer at getting a loan. Now, we have signed a purchase agreement and will be able to close later this week (BEFORE we move)! Praise God!
Keeping this all in perspective helps with the sickness of packing. At least we won't have to worry about the house after we move. We plan to arrive in Baraboo Aug. 28th, and my first Sunday is Sept. 3rd. Keep us in your prayers, and feel free to email us anytime.
Josh (and Jamie)
Just so you don't think life is THAT horrible, I do have some good news....God sold our house! Kinda nice, since we've been packing it up. Last month we spoke with Matt and Laura Aspinall, children's pastor at Brookhaven. They loved our house and all the decorations, but weren't sure that it was the right time to buy. So we assumed God had some other plan in mind. Then we had them over to our house at the beginning of the month for a party, and they said they'd look closer at getting a loan. Now, we have signed a purchase agreement and will be able to close later this week (BEFORE we move)! Praise God!
Keeping this all in perspective helps with the sickness of packing. At least we won't have to worry about the house after we move. We plan to arrive in Baraboo Aug. 28th, and my first Sunday is Sept. 3rd. Keep us in your prayers, and feel free to email us anytime.
Josh (and Jamie)
Friday, August 4
Parkway Wesleyan
So here's our church...Parkway Wesleyan. Max seating: 130. Office space: a bit. Sunday School rooms: 3. Kitchens: 1. Basketball hoops: 1. Black congregations meeting in our building on Sunday nights: 1. Pianos: 1. Overall theme: 1960s. Bright green pillows for sitting on: 1.
From what I've heard, small churches are great "first churches." And this one will be especially great. The community is ripe for the harvest, and the church is ripe for change. With God's timing and grace, we'll be reaching quite a few people for Christ and making disciples like crazy. The city has plenty of churches, though only a few of them are evangelical, conservative churches. Us, a Nazarene church of 50, and a Bible church of 125-150. Other than that the Lutheran churches, UMC, Congregational, and Catholic church are fairly liberal.
One of my goals is to meet with the pastors of any and all churches regardless of their doctrinal statements. Hopefully we'll all be able to have community-wide services here and there. I'll get a better picture of the community through the eyes of pastors who've been ministering there before me. And I'd really like to get involved with the black congregation meeting in our sanctuary. I know God allowed them to be there for a purpose...we'll see what that is soon.
Another goal is to meet needs of the city through kids programs, teaching parenting classes, cooking classes, basketball tournaments, daycares, etc. I hope to have one "big" event each month at the church or in the surrounding area. Hopefully some of the people who attend those events will come to the church on Sundays. Along with that, Jamie and I want to spend a few hours each day driving around Baraboo, getting to know area businesses and the people who frequent them. Just like a missionary bonds with his/her new community by jumping into it right away, so we will jump into Baraboo.
And my final and biggest goal is to bring our church to its knees in prayer. It will be easy to jump in and go it alone, working as hard as possible while forgetting to ask for God to be with us. We'll start with once or twice a week prayer meetings. And during Sunday morning services, prayer will take more of a central spot in worship. We'll pray as if it's not a transition from singing to the sermon. And then we'll see what God has in store!
Please pray for our church when you think about us. We'll do our best to keep you updated so you know how best to pray.
Blessings,
From what I've heard, small churches are great "first churches." And this one will be especially great. The community is ripe for the harvest, and the church is ripe for change. With God's timing and grace, we'll be reaching quite a few people for Christ and making disciples like crazy. The city has plenty of churches, though only a few of them are evangelical, conservative churches. Us, a Nazarene church of 50, and a Bible church of 125-150. Other than that the Lutheran churches, UMC, Congregational, and Catholic church are fairly liberal.
One of my goals is to meet with the pastors of any and all churches regardless of their doctrinal statements. Hopefully we'll all be able to have community-wide services here and there. I'll get a better picture of the community through the eyes of pastors who've been ministering there before me. And I'd really like to get involved with the black congregation meeting in our sanctuary. I know God allowed them to be there for a purpose...we'll see what that is soon.
Another goal is to meet needs of the city through kids programs, teaching parenting classes, cooking classes, basketball tournaments, daycares, etc. I hope to have one "big" event each month at the church or in the surrounding area. Hopefully some of the people who attend those events will come to the church on Sundays. Along with that, Jamie and I want to spend a few hours each day driving around Baraboo, getting to know area businesses and the people who frequent them. Just like a missionary bonds with his/her new community by jumping into it right away, so we will jump into Baraboo.
And my final and biggest goal is to bring our church to its knees in prayer. It will be easy to jump in and go it alone, working as hard as possible while forgetting to ask for God to be with us. We'll start with once or twice a week prayer meetings. And during Sunday morning services, prayer will take more of a central spot in worship. We'll pray as if it's not a transition from singing to the sermon. And then we'll see what God has in store!
Please pray for our church when you think about us. We'll do our best to keep you updated so you know how best to pray.
Blessings,
Wednesday, August 2
Moving to Wisconsin
Today is the first day of blogging, so this will probably be boring for most of you. Oh well. Jamie and I are looking forward to moving to Baraboo (when I first heard the name of the city I thought God would never be funny enough to have me live there...I was wrong). So much for living close to family, staying in our comfort zones and living in Marion. Part of me is sad to leave Brookhaven, IWU, and everything I've known for the past 4 years. And part of me knows that if I stayed I would regret it. God has something great in store for us, and because of that, I'm excited. Excited to be a pastor (though still not used to being known as one), excited to meet new people, excited to live near the Wisconsin Dells, excited to be used by God.
Jamie and I have been in contact with Dan and Reenie Bickel, the D.S. of the Wisconsin District of the Wesleyan Church. They have been amazing and we are blessed to know them and work with them. They are now in the process of fixing up the church parsonage so we can live in it! The church is made up of 30-40 people, almost all of whom are past retirement age. They are wonderful people who seem up for the changes ahead. Hopefully that won't change with the changes.
Once we get a digital camera there will be pics and this will look a bit better. For now enjoy the text.
Blessings,
Jamie and I have been in contact with Dan and Reenie Bickel, the D.S. of the Wisconsin District of the Wesleyan Church. They have been amazing and we are blessed to know them and work with them. They are now in the process of fixing up the church parsonage so we can live in it! The church is made up of 30-40 people, almost all of whom are past retirement age. They are wonderful people who seem up for the changes ahead. Hopefully that won't change with the changes.
Once we get a digital camera there will be pics and this will look a bit better. For now enjoy the text.
Blessings,
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