My New Path
Several years ago I was profoundly challenged by a book that I read called Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner. In the book the author laments how Christians have relinquished their role in the public square and as a result have lost their voice in the culture. He wrote of how Christians have largely abandoned the influential arenas that form and shape our culture such as the arts, media, politics and academics and in turn have retreated by circling the wagons and waiting for the world to end.
Ever since I read that book, I have honestly been haunted by his admonition. I have spent countless hours pondering the implications of this reality and wondered just what could be done to regain our voice in the culture and take back the influence that we have so easily surrendered. On a personal level, I have wondered what I can do to help grab the ear of a spiritually deaf culture, and I have prayed much about what that would look like for me specifically.
I have recently gained clarity about my own role in this cause as God has revealed to me just how I ought to be spending my time. From childhood I have felt a strong conviction that I was supposed to be a teacher of God’s Word but up until recently had not considered that teaching may actually only be part of my calling. I had never considered myself to be an “evangelist” and do not believe that I have that particular spiritual gift, so I assumed that I must instead be a “pastor” since these are often treated as mutually exclusive callings. After all, I had always been comfortable with the idea that pastors care for the sheep in the fold while evangelists go find the lost sheep in the field.
Well, I have come to appreciate that these two callings are not mutually exclusive and that even though evangelism is a spiritual gift, it is also a mandate. And, though there is much importance in tending the sheep in the fold, there is an equal if not greater importance placed on finding the sheep that are lost in the field. As Jesus said in Luke 15, there will actually be more joy in heaven over the one sheep that is found than over the 99 sheep that are already safely in the fold.
I realized recently that I have been spending the vast majority of my time in the fold, feeding, leading, and caring for the sheep that reside there and have not spent much time scouting the hills and searching the valleys for the wandering sheep outside. And, I have come to a convicting conclusion…that I think I will regret how I spend my life if I don’t spend more time in the field. Though I love the sheep in the fold and consider it a privilege to serve them, I want to spend my time on earth maximizing the joy in heaven. And, if God is most pleasured by seeking and saving the lost, then I want to spend my life joining the search and rescue mission that Jesus started.
All of this is to say that this realization means that I must make some significant changes in my life in order to realign my path with this mission. The implication of my newly formed conviction is that I can no longer serve as the Lead Pastor of Northwest Community Church as this position requires me to spend the bulk of my energy and time almost exclusively with the sheep in the fold. Therefore, I am resigning from my present position and will be assuming a new position that will allow me the time and energy to devote more of myself to ministering outside of the local church.
Toward that end, I have been offered and in turn have accepted a flexible and unconventional ministry role at Bethany Bible Church in downtown Phoenix to serve as their Teaching Pastor, in which case I will be responsible for teaching on Sundays and providing guidance to the elders and staff but will also be largely freed up during the week to minister outside of the church and around the community.
This is an opportunity that resonates and aligns with what God has been doing in my heart. Though my commitment to the local church and passion for teaching God’s Word is unchanged, I feel that I also need to find ways to go to where the lost are rather than waiting for them to come to where I am. In other words, I want to venture out into the wilderness where the lost sheep live and show them the way home.
My immediate plans for this new venture are to start up an urban marketplace ministry which will include Bible studies and discipleship training for business people, to volunteer time serving and supporting local mercy and compassion ministries, to begin teaching some college and seminary level classes, to further my education by pursuing a doctoral degree specializing in the study of the intersection of faith and culture, and to begin working on some writing projects that have been beckoning for years.
Though I dread the thought of disappointing the wonderful people at Northwest Community Church with my decision, I know that being obedient to God’s call on my life is most important and trust that my church family will understand and support this new calling in my life. And, though my own family and I will miss seeing everyone that we have come to know and love at NCC, we are heartened to know that we will not be far away and will continue to serve the same city together in the days to come.
Kent,
Congrats & welcome to BBC. Always a tough thing for all involved at the old place and with the relationships you’ve built there.
~Adam
Hey man…we’re praying for you guys and appreciate where God is leading you…it’s been an amazing time serving under you and alongside you!
Kent,
I hope it works out for you just as you dream it will. I hope the trials that lie ahead are far outweighed by the joy on your journey. God bless you.
I imagine Paul had the same experience at the church of Ephesus when he heard his calling to go to that pagan city called Rome. My prayers will continue for you and Stephanie and the little Dels. God continues to be with you now and for always complete his works my friend.
Peace,
Kent, may God continue to bless you and use you at BBC. We will miss you at NCC but it is comforting to know that you will be building the same Kingdom!
ChrisB – are you comparing BBC to “that pagan city called Rome”?
Welcome to BBC! My husband and I have really appreciated your messages so far and look forward to learning and growing through your upcoming teachings.
Kent …
A year ago I couldn’t SPELL homeless. Brenda and I are now, however, spending six days a week, 4-5 hours per day, investing in the lives of 20-40 homeless men and women in the inner city, empowering and training them to become transforming light bulbs for the Kingdom inside a deeply dysfunctional inner city.
Our lives will never be the same, and the adventure has merely just begun.
Welcome to the lay of the land that God chose to be His own 1,980 years ago. Your life will never be the same. Enjoy recapturing God’s strategy for inviting broken people into the Kingdom
- M
A little late reading the news, but I wish you much success. I love where your heart is and I think you are right we spend so much time within the church walls that we don’t see outside. We don’t go to the ones that would never enter our church door.
I pray you keep up this blog or stay on FB so I can follow and pray for you during this exciting journey.
Kent, I am thrilled to read of the Holy Spirit’s working in your life!! Breaking out of the “christian bubble” is a great step into the whitening fields.
a fellow pilgrim and stranger in this most strange land.
Mary