Just Serve

Yesterday it was officially announced that I will be serving as Campus Pastor at BridgeWay Community Church.  I'm really excited for this opportunity to serve the church.  Serve my lead pastor. And serve the community.  

To some this may seem like a sudden kind of thing.  But, for me it's actually been quite a journey.  Every step in this journey I've had one resoundingly clear calling from God.  It's been to "just serve"

I first felt called to ministry the summer before my Sr. year in college.  I was volunteering at a youth camp and after one of the services, everyone had left the building.  As I was walking out I felt God asking me to pray.  I didn't have anything specific to pray for.  So, I just sat down and I could sense God telling me "this is what I want for you".  Not very specific.  Right?  Just - "this".  For me "this" has always been to "just serve".

When I heard of a youth pastor position opening at Eureka Church of the Nazarene I felt compelled to apply.  I am so grateful that they offered me the position.  While there I learned how to serve and to lead.  My fourth year in ministry I attended a workshop where I was introduced to the concept of church planting.  

God again impressed upon me this call to "just serve".  I knew I was to help the church become the best it can be.  After a year of consideration (and probably more arguing with God than I'd like to admit) my husband Chris and I finally took God seriously.  We got connected to BridgeWay Community Church a year old church plant and began to "just serve".

The last 7 years have been full of all kinds of "just serve" moments as I've been able to serve and lead as Pastor of Family Life.  About two years ago Chris and I decided it was time to go through church planter assessment.  The only way to describe this experience is - intense.  The big reason we went through this assessment was we needed to have the question answered, "Are we supposed to plant a church or not?"  

Through that assessment I was able to discover that God has equipped me NOT to plant a church but to "just serve" - shocking right?  Since that is what God's been calling me to do all along. - DUH!

Basically I've found, owning my gifting and calling has allowed my leadership to flourish.  It has humbled me to become more like Christ and serve better.  It has pushed me to strive to learn and get better at everything I do.  It has fueled my passion for church health. And has given me more joy and energy in ministry than ever before.  

All along, I've never felt called to specifically be a youth pastor, a children's pastor, or pastor of family life.  Through this whole entire journey I've been called to "just serve" in whatever capacity I'm given.  

I'm excited about this transition and all of the challenges that come with it.  Most of all I'm excited to live out my calling in a new way and hope to ALWAYS "just serve" well with whatever opportunity I'm allowed in the church, as a wife, as a parent, as a friend.  Because that's what I'm truly called to do.