WOW! Preparing to plant a church is a blessing, but very overwhelming. I thank God for the North American Mission Board, Hope Church Las Vegas, and Launch Network for the training we have received over the past two months. Very blessed to have been chosen by these ministries to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through church planting. Praise God!
I think this process of training is so humorous. When God called us to plant a church in Hilo back in May, I immediately began working on our missions statement, core values, strategy, fundraising, and community needs plan. As I began to seek counsel on this plan, I realized how much I did not know about planting a new church. The truth is, I need God more then ever in my life. A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege to lead 2000+ of our church members in a song called "I Need You Jesus". The first verse and chorus says this...
Without fail, my strength keeps failing me
All alone, I'm powerless
To lift myself from the pit that I am in
I need You, Jesus
I need You, Jesus
I need clean hands
I can't, You can
I need You, Jesus
Those words say it all! Apart from God I can do nothing, but through him I can do all things. Here at Hope Church we call this God Dependence. My goal is not to plant a church. My goal is to grow deeper in a intimate love relationship with my God/Father.
As Layne and I continued though our church plant training, we were so convicted by God to erase everything we have written down, stop looking at other planters strategy, and just seek God and desperately cry out to Him for forgiveness, and restored fellowship. Following that sweet time of meeting with the Lord, He just revealed Himself to us, and refreshed us. Its good to know that the Christian life is not based on our efforts, but rather what God does in and through us to showcase His glory. When we are intune with God through intimacy with Him, He presses His mission out of us to the ends of the earth. Thank You Lord for being so good!
Grace and Peace to you all!
Pastor Zeke
Prayer Needs...
- Launch Network Training
- A clearer vision and strategy for Hawai'i, the South Pacific, and The World
- Partners - Church/Family/Individua/ (Prayer, Financial, and Missional support needs)
- The Collins Family - They are planting in Las Vegas. Jim Collins and I serve together as the resident church planters at Hope Church. We have become close friends.
- The 43,000 people who live in Hilo
- The 95% lostness in the State of Hawai'i
- The unreached/unchurched Nationals that live in Hawai'i (People from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the rest of the South Pacific)
