One of the greatest desires that God has for His people is that we learn to trust Him completely and offer ourselves wholly to His plans and initiatives. When God speaks clearly to us about something that He wishes to accomplish, He is not inviting dialogue or debate, but trust and obedience.

When Abram was asked to leave his homeland in pursuit of a promise, God did not plan an itinerary or encourage him to consult Map Quest as a means to make the most effective journey from point A to point B. He simply said, "Leave and go to the land I will show you" (Genesis 12:1) Because of the certainty with which God spoke, Abram responded with whole hearted trust and obedient.

When Moses was commissioned to go to the people of Israel as an instrument of deliverance in the Lord's hand, God did not ask him to initiate a focus group to comprise a financial prospectus or develop a feasibility plan. He simply said, "Go, I am sending you" (Exodus 3:10). And when He sensed that Moses' knees were knocking, He gave him the only word of confirmation and commissioning needed, "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12).

When God asks us to step out in faith and to do that which will honor Him and bring both blessing and deliverance to others (both of the above cited situations were specifically about those very purposes), He invites us to be both blessed and to be a blessing. He invites us to be on mission with Him.

One of the passions that God has laid upon my heart as a pastor, is to focus upon planting healthy, nurturing and "soon to be self sustaining" daughter churches. In fact, one of the things that impressed me so much about the Brethren in Christ was the desire to have a meaningful impact for the kingdom of God by planting many such new churches by the year 2010. With that in mind and with the desire to be obedient, I began to ask the Lord where He was at work and how He would like us at Hollowell to be involved.

In March of 2005 when our church secretary tendered her resignation and when the Administrative Board made the decision to use previously allocated funds for us to hire a Pastor of Community Outreach and Evangelism, there was opportunity for us to hire Pastor Carlos as a third member of our pastoral team. His part time involvement at the church in this capacity was to be instrumental in accomplishing not one but two goals in the church. First, our intentional choice to be an outreach minded community church. Second, in conversation with Pastor Carlos, it was aparent that our desire to be a daughter planting church moved to a new level of potential. He indicated in intitial interviewing, that is was his desire and intention to go to a church where he felt he could be used to initiate a new daughter work.

Effective November 1st, 2005, Pastor Carlos started working full time giving his time entirely to the task of: community outreach and evangelism at Hollowell, and preparing for the launch of a Daughter church in 2007.

How does this impact what we are doing here at home? Won't it throw a curve at the plans that we are involved with here in our local area? Not really. We are not looking at competing interests but complimentary ones. We are not focused upon Hollowell building but kingdom of God building, and that involves keeping the home fires of revival burning while we focus upon taking that same fire to other locations. We will continue to be developing our plans for a new sanctuary, continue to build our existing ministries just as we have been, and continue to seek the Lord's blessing upon His ministry here at the corner of Hollowell Church Road and Leitersburg Pike.

Is this possible? If it is God's plan, and from the numerous confirmations that we have seen we are confident of this, and if we are obedient to do what He asks of us, we know that it is not only possible, but inevitable. We are trusting, believing and obeying. When that happens, God will add His blessing and we will see the glory of God spreading to people beyond ourselves, communities beyond our own, and opportunities beyond our imagination. God is calling us to do more that just sit like pretty fishing vessels in the water with all our riggings prepared to fish. He is asking us to LET DOWN OUR NETS. As a church we plan to do precisely that. Who knows? Perhaps other churches will take up the challenge to do the same. Imagine what could begin to take place if that were to happen.

We firmly believe that Hollowell is called to be instrumental in planting three new churches by the end of 2010. How great is your faith?

 

People Beyond Ourselves

     Communities Beyond Our Own

          Opportunities Beyond Our Imagination

Blaine Lougheed

Pastoral Team Leader

Hollowell Brethren in Christ Church