Lauren Daigle has this wonderful song called Thank God, I Do! In it she talks about the powerful privilege of choosing to follow Jesus and shares what it would be like had she not made this risky choice. What if she hadn’t chosen and she didn’t have Jesus? Then she says, “Thank God, I do!”
On September 8 we celebrated as an organization our risky choice to be a multisite church. As I look back over these years and this choice, I think, “Thank God, we did!”
We launched two campuses at the same time, one in Millersburg and one in Canton. It was something new in our area. No one was doing it.
People thought we were crazy and wondered why we would do this “odd” new thing.
We took the risk … why?
Because everyone spends forever somewhere.
The stakes are high.
And every stake has a name, and an eternity attached.
Starting multisite and multiple campuses costs a lot of money.
It costs a lot of time.
It requires humility, learning to pick up from missteps and occasional setbacks.
It demands a huge sacrifice – first as a church and then personally to those who choose to be fully engaged.
Involving yourself in this is something that you only do because you have a call and a drive for it. You believe that people matter to God and so they better matter to you as a follower of Jesus Christ. Nothing else will give you the desire and ability to persevere through the highs and lows. Some of you know it is not for the fainthearted. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my leadership.
But I stand amazed at what God has done in and through NewPointe over the last 15 years.
Who would have thought that today we would have six strong campuses, reaching their communities for Christ? We believe the local church is the hope of the world, living and teaching the truth of Jesus Christ.
There has been nothing more demanding, yet nothing more rewarding.
I want you to know how proud and thankful I am for you. Many of you have gotten up at 5 AM to set up and tear down chairs and equipment to create environments conducive for children, students, and adults to connect with God. You have given dollars to make this happen for people you will probably never ever meet on this side of heaven.
It is a true honor and privilege to partner with you in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Only heaven will be able to let us know the full impact of our investment.
Thank God, we did!
God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 MSG