Church Planting Is Alot of Work

It is almost 11 o'clock and I am just finishing up work for the day. Other than meal times and my time alone with God i have pretty much worked since waking up at 6:30 this morning. Not only am I working like this, but my wife is working just as hard. In addition there are two other families who pouring out their blood, sweat and tears to get this church off the ground. Meeting with anyone who will let me buy them coffee, sending emails, preparing messages, looking at numbers and processing strategic plans, developing marketing plans and message series, discipling people who have never been to church before, correcting people who don't agree with the vision, encouraging people who are fainthearted and need to know that God has a plan for their life, hoping and praying that people will actually respond, sharing the gospel, making calls to invite people, putting door hangers everywhere. Almost all of this I've done in the last week or so. I am reminded so often how much starting a new church is like giving birth to a new born and tending to an infant. Everything seems so fragile and infantile! This is the second church Stacie and I have helped start. For some reason I forgot this season like a mother forgets birth. Well, the baby is coming down the birth canal right now! Only 3 more days until the next big push and 31 more days until she is completely out. I am starting to see what the baby is going to look like, and I think she is going to beautiful. I think she is going to change the world. I think she is going to be everything I dreamed of. I am so glad I get to be right be the bed when she is born! What a great joy it is for me to serve Jesus and be a part of the birthing of his local church. There is nothing in the world like it! What else has the power and potential of a local church that catches Jesus' vision for the world! I can't wait to see what God is going to do this Sunday!