Watershed Church and UCF

Today when I got to my desk I had a small package sitting on it. I opened it to find a DVD from Scott Hofert and Matt O’Neil at Watershed Church in uptown Charlotte. The video came as a thank you from them to University City Fellowship on their two year anniversary. It doesn’t seem like that long ago when we helped them launch. And I am filled with joy that we had an opportunity to play a part in getting them off the ground. Now they are a force for the kingdom of God in uptown Charlotte and I don’t know of two better people to lead a church that the uptown area needs other than Scott and Matt.

I laugh when I think of the six months that Scott spent on our staff. I laugh because we called him the “Intern.” He was the “intern” that knew more than all of us combined about what the church should be and how to make that a reality. When Scott and I would talk, I would be the one with making notes and trying to remember what he would say. Scott is one of those guys that I always look forward to hanging out with because they are always rich times. I had lunch last week with him to pick his brain about a Justice type series that I am working on for the early part of ’08.

When I think of opportunities like planting a church - really beginning a mission focused expression of the body of Christ that is set free to explode into a community- I am grateful. I am grateful for the way this changes me and us. They are thanking us (UCF) and all I can think of is thanking them for what they are leading and what they have poured into us.

So many times we miss out on these kind of opportunities because we do a quick cost-benefit analysis and we decide we don’t have time, don’t have the money, don’t have the leadership capacity to help someone or something else out. Situations where we are the strength or establishment or the mentor and we decide that we just can’t help a weaker person, a start-up group or someone in need of help. What we miss out on is the life change that would happen in us, if we would engage and give of ourselves. When we decide we just can’t we cut off the potential for life change.

We (Mendy and I, and our kids) are currently planning on adopting a child from Ethiopia. And while my heart breaks for the present conditions that this child is living in, and while I am fully aware that we will give him hope that he has never experienced, I think I am heading into this looking forward to how this child is going to change us. I can’t wait for a thank you card from a child, thanking us for changing his life. When I receive it… I will just laugh and know in my own heart that I am the one who will have been changed. Let the journey begin.

On a different note: A few things that are blowing me away right now:

1. Dave and Robin Laney (Omaha) – you HAVE TO READ what they are up to weekly
2. Mike and Amy Rodgers (Ethiopia) – simply amazed at their faithful journey and the
weekly updates on their blog
3. Creating a 3rd Space – anyone know what I am talking about
4. Our new family room (UCF’s small groups)
5. Stories from those of you who are investing in relationships and inviting them to church.