tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post1652865452227560559..comments2023-10-07T03:53:30.709-04:00Comments on old men planting churches: We're Gonna Do What???Kit McDermotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17818705153986043363noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-48338488147346104752011-11-22T19:56:40.112-05:002011-11-22T19:56:40.112-05:00Hi Kit, Matt from The Hill here.
I appreciate thi...Hi Kit, Matt from The Hill here.<br /><br />I appreciate this post tremendously. In establishing The City Church last year and now The Hill earlier this year, we have face an enormous amount of doubt about our vision. Mainly because of the neighborhood in the city in which we are in. <br /><br />It often seems impossible to start anything pertaining to art and actual musical performances (there are plenty of cover bands playing in bars to people who just scream louder to be heard over them) in Springfield. When you tell people that you're doing it because you believe God has blessed us with these talents and they should be embraced in the name of Christ, they tell you "oh, cool" but you can almost feel them holding back their laughter and skepticism. We have often had these people jump on board and jump off almost immediately. <br /><br />I guess I connect well with your first point. That the God-sized tasks are really only made possible by a being with a God-sized will. So I thank my Lord for putting His God-sized spin on my Matt-sized life. And I thank Him for bringing a group (albeit a smaller group than we hope for) of people who have also been spun into believing that real change IS possible. Who believe we are not striving after the wind.<br /><br />So that leaves us with...well, us. Your 6th and 7th points. I believe that the only reason we've hung on tight is because The Holy Spirit has glued our hands to the wheel. If it were up to us, we probably would have given up long ago, especially Pastor Anthony. He has sacrificed much more for much longer with much less encouragement than the rest of us. But I will tell you that he says "why not?" and "who says we can't?" more than anyone I know. And I'm thankful for him. His enthusiasm for Springfield, being a newcomer, is what revived my heart for the city after 22 years in it. And I pray that we can be used by God each day to be this positive influence on just one person. Like you say, without the people who have the vision to believe in it and chase it, no one else will. I pray that we do not fail in allowing others to serve God in their own capacity or ours because of our own committed or omitted acts/words. <br /><br />But in the two years of the church, it has grown from 5 people in Anthony's living room to approximately 40-45 adults attending weekly. We have probably 1-15 others who come once in a while. Even more than these combined have come and gone for one reason or another. The amount of commitment from this group is not through the roof, but many are still new. And many share Christ, but not the vision, not even the love of Springfield. And if you come to a concert on a Saturday night, you will probably not see any of the same faces as you would then next morning. But that's fine by me. Let me focus on the people who really need Christ.<br /><br />So it's slow, but has grown steadily<br /><br />I don't know how long you've been at this, but I hope you are constantly being re-encouraged. Because I'm sure that you are constantly being discouraged by someone or something. May the Lord bless your efforts and give you peace in His arms, knowing that He every hair on your head is counted and every head in your ministry is provided by grace alone. <br /><br />Peace,<br /><br />MattMatt Derderianhttp://www.thehillspringfield.comnoreply@blogger.com