I started blogging back in Feb of 07 mainly to track the story that God was about to take myself and the story of launching The Chapel at Elmwood. It has been over 5 years and what a journey it has certainly been. I would have never guessed that God would have led us to where we are now as Renovation Church.
I have posted many times about different spiritual milestones and big wins along the way and today is another BIG ONE!
At the stroke of midnight tonight we will be closing a significant chapter that has allowed us to see God do some amazing things in the lives of hundreds of people and in the community that we serve in.
Starting May 1 we will be standing on our “own.” I say that because we know we do nothing on our own but in the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ. Renovation Church will be stepping out from under the incredible, generous, missional ministry of The Chapel!
We have been so blessed by the investment of The Chapel… from my pastor and dear friend Jerry Gillis, the godly men of the Board, the loving staff, and the generous and faithful people that make up this amazing church. I know of no other story like the one God has been telling through The Chapel and Renovation and that story is far from over… just a new chapter.
We started this journey with about 75 people willing to take a chance and trust God in launching The Chapel’s first “plant” Easter Sunday of 07. Since then God has allowed that intial 75 to grow to over 700… a church of little diversity to a community of faith full of diversity… we started with the mandate to “go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in…” and that is what we have tried to do.
We started with two rules… inVEST and inVITE… inVEST in people and authentic relationships and then inVITE them into a relationship with Jesus Christ and that is what we are still doing and I pray we will do until He comes back!
We have started the XCEL Leadership Center… partnering with families to grow healthy in five key areas… socially, educationally, financially, physically and of course spiritually. We started with a few and now we hope to invest in developing and unleashing 1500 leaders by 2015 in all shapes and sizes all over our city!
Our relationships with other churches and ministries in our city continues to strengthen and deepen…
Our first global initiative is on the horizon!
I have several emotions and thoughts…
GRATEFUL… grateful that God loves me and choses to use me (crazy)… grateful for the investment by so many in me personally and in Renovation Church…
INSPIRED… inspired by other people, other churches, other minstires that have paved the way ahead for us and inspired to pave new roads for others to come along…
HUMBLED… knowing that leadership is a stewardship, it’s temporary and we are accountable… we must lead well for God’s honor and for the benefit of so many.
DETERMINED… to much is given much is required… I want to finsh strong… by the grace and strength of the risen Savior living within me I want my heavely Father to say to me and one day to thousands of others because of the work He will do through Renovation Church… “well done!”
Thank you Father, thank you Pastor Jerry, thank you Chapel Family… love you and will be eternally grateful!
Can’t wait to live the next chapter!
