Our Church Home

For a long time,  we have been led to pray and seek the Lord's will regarding our church home.  We have loved our church family since we stepped foot in the door in September 2001.  But, without fully understanding why, we have felt led to pray and make sure we are in the place where we are most needed to serve and minister, and where our family will grow in the Lord.  

We really have been praying about this for over a year, even before our unexpected senior pastor transition.  Honestly, it has been pretty unsettling.  I'm sure we didn't handle it well, or right, at all times.  But, we have tried to continue seeking the God's will.

Recently, we learned that our church will be planting a church.  We listened carefully as more details were presented to us, and knew it had to be completely up to God to direct us in whatever we would do.  Because change is not easy, we knew it would be very hard work and difficult emotionally--whether we stayed at our current church or went to be part of the new church plant. 

We have prayed.  And discussed.  And prayed.  And fasted.  And prayed some more.

We have sought God's will through scripture.  And prayed. 

2/7/12

We asked God to make it very clear to our hearts where we were to serve and worship.  We truly want to know where He needs us to be.  We want to do His will, not ours.  

2/10/12 - prayer plant on our mantle, with a note asking us to pray and ask God if He wants us to be part of planting the new church

It's not about what is most convenient for us, or what seems easier or more fun.  It's not about being at the church with our friends.  We want to grow closer to Jesus, and for our children to desire to know Him more every day.  

We have a burden for our community, and for those around us to know the mercy and love of Jesus.  Our lives are infinitely better because of His saving grace.  We want to help others know Him too.  We want to be part of changing lives.

From the minute they first heard about the plant, the kids wanted to go.  We have been friends with the Kellers (who currently pastor at our church and will be pastoring the new church) for a long time.  So, for the kids, initially it was about going to church with their friends.  We explained that the Kellers are not moving and that we will always be friends.  So, they agreed to pray about what God wants us to do too.

Today after church Jeremy came up on stage to talk to me after the service, which he almost never does.  I could see an excited glow on his face, and knew he must have felt a clear answer about what our decision would be.  But, it didn't work out to talk about it right then with so many people around, so we chatted with friends a while and made our way out of church.

We took the kids to McDonald's for lunch and talked more about what we felt God was calling us to do.   Annah said she had had a dream in which I had told her we were going to be part of the plant and go to the new church.  Sylvia and Caeden both restated that they wanted to go.  Jeremy wanted me to say what I wanted to do, but I really wanted him to be the one to lead the decision as the head of our family.  I knew God had given us all the same answer, I just wanted Jeremy to be the one to speak it out loud.

In the car on the way home, Jeremy finally said that he felt we should go and be part of the church plant.  He said he had been thinking this morning about selfishness, sacrifice and compromise.  It became clear to him that it wasn't about what he wanted, but that God wanted us to go and help.  We decided then, that we would go.

Later, after we got home, I sent Pastor Todd a text telling him that the Lopshire Family was ready to answer God's call to serve in the planting of the new church.  It will be a hard thing to leave our wonderful church home of over 10 years; we are already feeling that.  But, I know the difficult adventure ahead will hold more blessings than we can imagine.