When we first moved here, one of the first things I did was to contact the principal of the nearby Elementary School and the town manager of the City of Pendleton, just to introduce myself and actually to ask if there was anything we could do to serve them. Neither ever got back with me. We live in an area where there simply are not a huge number of potential places to meet. As I heard more about the school I just felt more and more that this was the meeting location we should pursue, at least for the time being. So I made a second contact to the principal, with no response.
Finally, a friend of ours began student teaching at this school. He told me that this principal was a great guy, I needed to meet him and that he thought it would be a great possibility for us to meet there. So I went through the procedure of attempting to rent the facility. I filled out the paperwork and turned it back in to the school, hoping that day to get to meet the principal. No dice. I did get told that the school doesn't rent on Sunday mornings. Had to go through the corporation office to confirm that was an old policy. So I call on Friday of last week to see what the progress of my application was. The school once again refers me to the corp office, who hasn't seen my paperwork. Ugh!
Today I'm driving by the school. And in my heart I am saying two things. Lord, if you don't want us to meet here, please don't let me go home today without seeing some other secondary potential site. But I just keep feeling drawn to this place. I remembered the day in December when my friends from Church at the Crossing stood in the parking lot freezing our tails off praying about Catalyst (we didn't even have a name yet) and this facility.
So I drive around town, and I find another rental location. It's an empty retail site that could easily be built to some of our specifications. It has ample parking and is in a great location. So I get on the phone with the leasing company. And it would be a great location....for $4,875 per month. I posted earlier my status on Facebook, apparently the developers and leasing companies around here haven't got the memo that the economy is in the toilet, and that you really can't logically think that someone's going to cough up $20 per square foot for new retail space in these days. Maybe 5 years from now, but that remains to be seen.
And so I drove down to another place I'd looked at before. This time I got to go inside. And from the moment I walked in I just didn't feel like this place was right. I spent the next few hours working on some other work assignments and overhearing a woman's spiritual conversation at the coffee shop in Pendleton. It just reminded me one more time how this community needs what we're doing so much, not because it's about us, but because there are lots of people here who need Jesus, just Jesus. And we're going to be a church that helps people meet and fall in love with and learn to follow Jesus.
So I'm driving home, and I'm tempted not to drive by the school again, because I don't feel like I've gotten my answer about a secondary location, but....Now this school is a pretty good sized building, and the last time I came to the school office, I asked for a building map because I've never even been anywhere in the building past the office. Now at this point I don't know if what I'm doing is prophetic, or subconsciously prophetic, or whatever. But somehow I'm prompted that I should drive around to the back of the building just to see the area where we might use as a parking area/entrance. And then I drive on around the building. But something prompts me to drive on around the building again. And as I drive around the second time, my phone rings. I don't recognize the number, but when I answer it, it's the PRINCIPAL. HE'S CALLING ME TO TELL ME THAT HE JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, (which is the next step in the process, a step he took before signing off on the contract himself,) and they've decided that they're more than happy to let us rent from them!!!
Okay at this point I probably creeped him out a bit, because I said to him, (my actual words), "Are you still in the building?" (Yes) "because I'm calling from the parking lot, I was just driving around the building and I've never been inside, so if you've got a couple of minutes, could you show me around?" (Sure, come on in) After I pull on around the building and compose myself (laughter this time, not the usual tears) I run in like some giddy school girl, where the principal proceeds to show me around the building and basically imply we can use pretty much whatever we want! He gave us permission to use the gym, the cafeteria, the light system, their sound system if we want. I asked him for permission to come back with a digital camera and take some photos and he obliged me anytime after school is out for the day. He was totally cool to meet and work with, and is going to introduce us to the head custodian, who is going to become our best friend and we are going to be his biggest fan. Heck, we want to treat the custodial staff so well that other schools are envious of them just because they get to work with us.
Now I could go all spiritual here and say that I don't believe the principal would have called if I hadn't listened to God's prompting to drive around the building. I know he didn't recognize my car because we'd never met, and i wasn't even in my car that has the Denney license plate on the front. You could get creeped out that I was stalking the parking lot. (I decided not to bring it up when I got inside) I just choose to believe that God heard my heart's cry this morning and chose to make something happen for our new little fledgling faith community that proves again He is bigger than our barriers and that hundreds of people's lives are going to be changed by this Catalyst that He is forming in Pendleton.
Does this solve all of our launch problems? No, no it doesn't. Does it mean the next few months are going to be easy? No, no it doesn't. Is it one more step on the journey for us, a step where God affirms He's God and we're on the right path? Yes, yes it does.
Now....we wait to find out what "anything we need" is going to cost! But you know what, I get the feeling that He who offers us resources will resource us with the funds we need to cover it.
Oh, and there's room in the potential worship area for I don't know, 450? 200 chairs on the floor and then we can use the bleachers if we needed to.
There are details to nail down, some understandings to be reached about logistics, and so we're asking that you pray with us that all those things can be ironed out. But today is a huge day for Catalyst Church. And we thank you for praying and journeying with us thus far.
And thank you God, You just remind us that when the enemy wants to discourage us, to tell us things are not going to work out, wants to convince us to quit, that You have lead us this far and You will take us to places which are unimaginable if we just keep walking in step with You. Will You help us fill that place with people hungry to connect with You, to know You and to follow Your Son Jesus Christ.
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