I'm Moving to Troy

I am going to be the new youth minister for the Troy Church of Christ in Troy, TN. I will start on Sept. 6. I am completely amazed at how everything turned out. This is one of those rare times where everything worked out exactly like I was hoping it would. My last Sunday at Parkway is going to be August 30. I will be able to move right into the job that I was hoping to have.

I am really excited to be able to work with Troy. They have some great kids, and I know most of them from doing some area-wide stuff. My predecessor Drew is one of my really good friends, and I am so blessed to follow in his shoes. Troy has a solid leadership, and an eldership that is has a solid vision and is community focused, and I'm coming into a healthy ministry. It's going to be a good fit. Plus they are bringing on a part-time worship minister, and I had a really good phone conversation with him yesterday. I think we are going to work well together. It's exciting to see what God will do. I will be able to really be a part of a ministry team, which is going to help me out tremendously. I work better when I am working with others on a common goal.

This is going to be a great place to put into place several things I have learned ministry wise, and its going to be a great place to start my own family. Troy has a parsonage (3 bedroom-2 bath) and its on an acre or two of land with a peach tree and a cherry tree. This is the first time I will be in the same town as the majority of my kids. In Cali they were all spread out, and I have been living in Martin, working in Fulton. Its wonderful both professionally and personally. Martin is 30 minutes away, so I will still be able to be there for Ashley, and my other nieces in Rutherford. In fact, I think being out of the house and being able to have her stay with me for weekends, or for a day, etc. will be great. Plus I will be more intentional in making time for her and using our time well.

Of course I am very excited, but the emotion I'm surprised by is that I am scared to. I'm in good company on that one. Moses and Gideon were scared when they were called to the very thing they were asking for. I realize how inadequate I am for the task, but then nobody is. God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. I'm thinking of all this will require of me, and it is a little scary to start something new. At the same time, I have learned and grown so much over the past few years that I am ready to start much stronger than I have in the past.

I could not have asked for a better situation. The only thing that's gonna make it better is when Nancy will be able to join me here. Hopefully she will be able to transfer in October. I will be able to get her stuff out of storage and bring it to Troy the first week of September, and she will be here Labor Day weekend to help set up our house (I love the sound of that :). I am in a state of amazement right now because this is all beyond what I could ask or imagine.

I'm very thankful for my time at Parkway, and since I will still be close, I will get to stay in contact with everyone here. The only thing I'm concerned about is that the kids will not have a youth minister. They are welcome to anything that Troy does. Parkway has been very good to me, and they are going to give us a wedding shower my last Sunday (unfortunately Nancy will not be able to be here for it).