How Change Happens - The Final Chapter

I am fast approaching my 15th year as an ordained Pastor.
The Accident that motivated change in my life happened almost 9 years ago.
My Personal change occurred almost 4 years ago.
I began to lead the church differently 4 years ago as well.

Change Happens through Great Promises.

There was never a guarantee that what God was doing in my life would spread to others.That the Love that I felt from Him and wanted to share with others would work on a church scale.

I had never experienced a church like it. and its not like the church was a bad church, it just wasn't all it could be.

In November of 2007 God gave me the revelation I had been looking for.
It was the book of Nehemiah and His word was so clear.
Rebuild the walls in 52 days.

I spoke with a very close Pastor friend who told me that changing a church is like turning a ship, it takes time and can get stuck on a sand bar. Another told me that its easier to give birth than raise the dead.

And while I understand both points and I agree that there are some churches that the culture is so toxic that there is no way it would change but it would be best to let it die.

I didn't feel that way.
God would not let me leave town.
God would not free me from the bonds of this body.
and so four months after sitting on this series of messages, I started in believing that it was a God thing.

It was not easy, as friends, co laborers, even family left us.
Our attendance in 2010 was horrendous and the offerings hideous.
But I believed the Promises of God.
I believed that I we loved God and Loved Others everything else would fall into place.

and suddenly, others began to believe.
Many early adopters to change began to change themselves in 2008.
others took a little longer and began to change in 2009
while even others, maybe a little sceptical at what was happening, began to change themselves in 2010.

and suddenly, in December of 2010, God began to fulfill His promise bringing people to our church who wanted what we all wanted.
To love and be loved.
and today, not minimizing the people of our past who helped get us here, today, our church has changed.

We are newLife, and we are living a newLife, and we are bringing others to newLife in Christ.

But it never would have happened if people would not have believed the promises.
So while I am a day late in giving Thanks, Thank you for believing the promises of God.

and that through our experiences, others can have faith in them as well.

Change can happen in any church, but it starts with me and you.

and I feel like I've been Born Again (#2 on my Play list, Thanks Third Day)