Up Til Now

Here is an exact timeline of our call and move into church planting. This explains how and when everything began and how we ended up where we are now. I actually wanted to post this around the first of August but since moving we haven’t had internet. Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

• August 2011: God had begun challenging Trey and I in our faith. Changing, challenging and creating a new heart towards ministry. Not sure what He was about to do.
• November 2011: Began praying about the possibility of church planting. That same week Trey was contacted by Tim pastor of Relate asking if we felt called towards church planting.
• December 2011: Met with Tim and Lori for the first time. We had a huge pile of questions we were going to ask to find out if their hearts toward ministry matched what God had been doing in our lives. We didn't even have to ask a question, without us saying a word as Tim and Lori poured out their hearts it was ridiculous hearing them expressing their passion and how it aligned with this burden that God had created in our hearts. I have no idea how to express how it matched perfectly with the challenges God had placed in our hearts.
• February 2012: Visited Relate, we were just going to help and see what it was about. We could not imagine it working out. There were too many details that the Lord could only accomplish Himself. The Sunday we visited there were probably around 20-25 ppl. but the Spirit was thick! When we visited, despite how impossible it seemed, we knew God was moving us there. We began praying some pretty large Sun Stand Still Prayers (Joshua 10:12-14).
• March 2012: Relate faced a pretty intense trial that could have easily, if given the chance, had the power to crumble the ministry. Not caving to the trial, the leadership sought the Lord and trudged forward.

Sun Stand Still Prayers Included:

• More Leadership help.
• How and when the Lord would move us.
• We had children staying in our home at the time and we had prepared that it would be long term.
• Where would we live?
• At the beginning of this I had been babysitting for a family who was dependent on me. In December I had begun praying for the Lord to provide a new full time babysitter for that family, but I didn't know what was going to happen in our future so I was unable to tell them about it.
• We began praying for significant church growth, and Hands and Feet to help disciple the growth that was already happening.
• Praying for encouragement for Tim and Lori.
• We began praying for hands and feet that would step in and fill in the gaps at Calvary, so the Youth Ministry would have a smooth transition.

 

• May-June 2012: Tim was contacted by Pastor Chris Pace, pastor of Ascend Church. The Lord had brought Relate to mind repeatedly so Tim and Chris met and realized that the passion and the burden that God had placed on each of their hearts aligned perfectly. Better than perfectly, the areas that one lacked was the other one's strength and vice versa. After much prayer they decided to merge the churches.
• July 22, 2012: Proposed the merge to the churches officially on August 5. Also, planning to add an additional morning worship service on August 12 and had a 100% approval!!!
• July 29, 2012: Relate had 104 visiting during the worship service - Before the merge. Also, more children than they could have possibly anticipated.
• August 1, 2012: Relate was offered an additional room to help with the children’s ministry from an adjacent restaurant!!! Praise the Lord, also Free of cost!
• August 5, 2012: On the Sunday of the merge Relate reached well over maximum capacity (150 in attendance) and made good use of the new children’s area!!! (: Praise the LORD!
• August 12, 2012: Our family's first Sunday to serve at Relate! We split into 2 morning worship services.

Since the Sun Stand Still Prayers beginning in March - God has blessed Relate with seven pastors, including Trey being the new missions/outreach pastor and an amazing leadership team. So to say GOD is at work at Relate Church would be an understatement.

We are DOWN with reaching this TOWN!!!