Location, Location, Location!

One of the most difficult decisions regarding the planting of the new AMI church in the Bay Area has been the question of where to begin.  I feel confident that God has called me and my family to Northern California but narrowing down the specific location of our ministry has been an on-going matter of prayer.  We have entertained thoughts ranging from Mountain View to San Francisco and everywhere in between including East Palo Alto (although everyone seemed very fearful of this option).  All I can say is that I have been as open as possible to the Holy Spirit's leading regarding this very important matter but with the realization that there are many competing voices when it comes down to hearing from the Lord.

As Christians, we are guided first and foremost by the objective truth of Scripture but we are also led by our subjective interpretation of circumstance, intuition, and what we believe we have heard from God's Spirit.  In decisions like this, no one can be 100% sure that they have heard from God accurately but at the same time there is no benefit to constantly questioning every decision that has to be made. Many times like Abraham, we simply have to obey God's command to go and worry about the details later.

When we first made the decision to move up to the Bay Area, it was with the purpose of reaching the city of San Francisco. Those convictions have remained the same and I pray that this is the Lord's doing.  I sense that God is getting ready to do something in this great city and I hope to be a part of that.  In the weeks and months to come,  I pray that the Lord will clarify His vision for this new church and bring the right people together for this exciting work.

Humble Beginnings

Last week, we had our very first prayer meeting for the church plant that is planned for the Fall of 2012.  There were ten of us in attendance including 6 month old Nathan (who fell asleep in the middle of the meeting but still needs to be counted since he represents 10% of our present congregation).  At this point in time, we have no name for the church, no location, no mission statement, and no idea how God is going to work in the midst of us.  Yet for all of these uncertainties, I can't help but believe that this is exactly where God wants us.  At the end of the meeting, the Spirit reminded me that unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).

Humility and complete dependence on God are very difficult lessons to learn but it is so essential for our spiritual growth and maturity.  If there is a lesson that I have learned repeatedly as a pastor and church planter it is the danger of trying to go ahead of God and make plans based on our own initiative and strategies.  In order to avoid this pitfall, prayer and waiting patiently for the Lord's response is an absolute necessity.  I want to make sure that we are hearing from the Spirit of the Lord clearly on matters pertaining to the new church and not doing things merely on a whim.

Oddly, the day after the meeting which happened to be February 1st, I began my quiet times in the book of Numbers.  The first chapter states that on the first day of the 2nd month, God spoke to Moses regarding the names of those who would assist him in leading the new nation of Israel.  For you biblical historians, I know that the Jewish calendar is different than our modern calendar but it certainly caught my attention.  I realized that Moses waited to hear from God before he selected those men who would help lead the people.  In the same way, I hope that we will be humble enough to wait for the the Lord to speak before we make any decision that will impact the life our new church.

If you are reading this blog and would like to join us for our next prayer meeting the first week of March, please email me at markchun@gmail.com.