A Shepherd’s Heart

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

This past weekend four years ago I started sharing life with you as your pastor. It was a meaningful weekend to reflect on the life we share.

The weekend began at the home of Peggy Wilson. Her husband of 54 years died Saturday morning. I remember many prayers with Peggy and BJ a few years ago when she faced a life-threatening illness. She’s convinced that she was healed for the sole purpose of being there for BJ as he became unable to take care of himself. Significantly, Diane and I drove from the house of our newest widow to the widows/widowers banquet that our deacons host annually.

Further down our church’s age range, Sunday morning we celebrated three baptisms, including a high school student and his mom, and we cheered our church’s 2007 graduates. Then, on the youngest end of our church’s age range, I sat in Gattiland Sunday night for pizza with Awana kids and their parents. I held Ethan McKanna, who’s coming up on his first birthday, and thought about the fact that our nursery is anticipating nine more babies by Christmas.

I count it a joy to shepherd this flock, and that’s not just a sentimental “Hallmark” line. As I’ve told you before, the search committee received over 200 applicants, but you got your most reluctant candidate to come. Leaving my beloved former church was not easy, and our boxed-up household goods left the Cayman Islands long, long before my heart did.

But somewhere along these last four years, that part of the shipment must have arrived, because this weekend I found myself saying, “I’m home.”

We continue the work I launched on my first anniversary with you, when I said God was leading us into three renovations:

Our heart. This is the renovation of how we think. We’re learning how to be a congregation where Austin can find and follow Jesus together. I’ve prepared an eight-day devotional guide that will help you understand this better. Pick it up at church or or download a copy from our website.

Our program. This is the renovation of what we do. Our biggest changes in this renovation phase have been the Hillcrest Institute on Sunday nights and the launch of a second morning service.

Our space. This is the renovation of how we look. A team is developing recommendations for a big campus update, and you should get that report sometime in 2008.

Thank you for sharing life with me! Onward together! Join us at Hillcrest this Memorial Day weekend for our “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service for the last sermon in the "Extreme Makeover" series, or listen to online Monday (iTunes; website).