As I finished the post and thought about commenting the first thing on my mind was, “Well, I’m surprised she’s changing churches, because I’ve heard so many good things about her current pastor.”

Well — in one sense, of course, we don’t go to church for the pastor.

But in another sense, of course, you are right.

We asked ourselves a few times, “What are we… NUTS?” Calvary not only has Pastor Crabtree (who as far as we were concerned at the time couldn’t be topped as a pastor), it also has 101 different programs and classes and all the things that a large church has to offer (read: much security).

It’s also the sort of thing that we might have actually fought God tooth and nail about, if we hadn’t had THIS much confirmation. Know what I mean? But time and time and time again we began to see and hear and feel and KNOW (to the point that our pagan visitor was pointing stuff out to us and saying, “um - think that’s God telling you something, guys”) - it became so obvious that God wanted us at LCAG. We actually both “knew” that first Wed. night… but the whole process took less than a week (for all of my multiplied words in this blog) - can you believe it?

I can’t “compare” Pastor David and Pastor Danny. They’re two VERY different people, two VERY different personalities, two VERY different pastors. Yet they’re alike in one respect: they love the Lord with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength… and that shows in each of them so much that when you meet them even outside the church setting, you *know*. They’re both beyond excellent in all respects - preaching, teaching, shepherding, caring for people…. all of the important stuff. While Pastor David’s a fabulous pastor and is doing great things up in Greensboro … Pastor Danny’s *also* a fabulous pastor and is doing GREAT things down here in Level Cross. (He’s literally taken a church that was about to close due to severe wounds from the previous pastor, with 5 people left holding the doors open out of sheer stubbornness, and built it to a thriving church of 35-50 regulars in 11 months. Three Sundays ago he had 60 people there and baptized 13. We’re having services where the Holy Spirit is so strongly present that we show up ifor evening services and leave at 10 or 11pm. The day I was healed we were supposed to sing for an hour or so… we couldn’t stop. God was there! He was so PRESENT among us that we just HAD to worship. Now, that day was homecoming so we were going to be there for am service, lunch, and an hour or so of singing - so perhaps leave by 2 or 3… right? Nope. We shut things down at 6:30pm and that only because Pastor’s family had to go to their church for evening services, and a large group went on with them to their church. But that kind of thing’s become the norm. Last night, for example… prayer meeting. Only 4 of us there - from 7-11pm. God was there, and so we were there. That’s the big difference, I guess… no one here looks at their watch to see when something’s going to need to end.

We had to get beyond the “who’s your pastor” syndrome a little bit, Rich. Distance ourselves from it. (ouchie) Would never have considered that the issue existed in the sub-recesses of the mind, had God not thrust us into this position.

We also had to walk right out of our big big security blanket and into a whole lot of intimate, intricate relationship with people. (I think that’s what my next post is going to focus on. Might be the final post in the series.) At Calvary, we were part of the group and if we wanted to distance ourselves we could do so easily. At LCAG that is impossible. There’s no such thing as a face in the crowd at this church.

Oh - just looked up at one thing you wrote, which I guess is an implied question ?? LCAG is about three minutes from my house. I don’t think anyone we go to church with lives more than about 10 minutes from our house. In fact, Roger’s next door and Donny and Theresa are right across the street I love that.

It’s all definitely DIFFERENT.

Can I tell you what my immediate impression was upon reading post #5 first, before I had read everything that led up to it? Well, of course I can.

As I finished the post and thought about commenting the first thing on my mind was, “Well, I’m surprised she’s changing churches, because I’ve heard so many good things about her current pastor.” But my next thought was, “Being part of a community is maybe more important than going to a great church.” I had no idea if this was a church local to you, or not, but the primary idea on my mind was community. And it sounds like that’s definitely at play here.

Can’t say whether this is another confirmation for you, or not, but there you have it.

Dig in, Kathi, and keep walking in the light. I’m proud of you!

Rich
BlogRodent

Praise God!

Rich
BlogRodent