The Launch

The launch date is tomorrow.

Twenty-four hours from now and four thousand miles away from here, Restoration Church will open its doors to the community, sharing the love of Jesus with the people of Levittown.

I forget exactly when my parents committed to join the launch team for the new church plant from our home church, Grace Point.  Their initial interest has grown into excited anticipation over the past year or so, as church plant pastor, location, name (Restoration Church), and other details have been confirmed.  While in PA this summer, I had the opportunity to see their newly purchased facility.  I assisted with painting a classroom, went bowling with the launch team, and posted flyers in local businesses.  Participating in these preparations gave me a taste of all that the launch team was doing.  Since I've been back in Germany this fall, my parents and others have been deeply involved in the process of getting the church ready for the launch date - from endless hours of painting and cleaning, to essential planning and training to develop the ministries of the new church.

And now, October 20 is just one day away!

This Restoration Launch team is an inspiration for all of us - that we don't necessarily have to sell everything we have, move thousands of miles away from home, and learn a new language to be missionaries.  Sure, God does call some of us to serve in these ways, but the truth is that we are all called to be His disciple-makers!  Wherever we are, if we are committed followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be loving others unconditionally, intentionally and generously meeting their needs, and seizing every opportunity to serve.  We should be acknowledging our daily need for God's grace and forgiveness.  We Christians should be living authentic lives of faith, exhibiting more and more of the fruits of His Spirit as our hearts are yielded to Him.

It doesn't take joining a church plant launch team or raising support as an overseas missionary to be disciple-makers and world-changers.  It takes love and devotion, humility and boldness.  It means living counter-culturally in the midst of the culture.  It's following Jesus, no matter what the cost.

And if God does call us away from the familiarity of our home churches to serve Him in another town or on another continent, then it takes the courage and commitment to follow Him wherever He leads.  He hasn't called us to comfort, but rather to radical life change and continual transformation.

I'm proud of you, launch team, and I'm beyond excited to see what God has in store for Restoration Church!

And for all of us, this is Christ's commission and promise: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).