Change is really really good!

I've hesitated to put all this info out there because to me, I feel like it sounds negative when it's actually really positive. But as anyone who was at PBC on Sunday know, we're dealing with our idols around here folks, and caring what people think about me happens to be one! So, if God is in control and pleased with the circumstances that is the only thing I need to be worried about. Right? Right.

When we came down to Denver in May the "plan" (haha PLAN why do we even bother right?!) was to learn Providence and the community for a while, and maybe jump into a youth program in the fall sometime. Well, that changed and we were asked to start with the teens right away. It went ok. We had 2 or 3 great people who were committed to being there each week and getting to know the kids, all that good stuff. But it just wasn't clicking. It wasn't working. We couldn't quite put our finger on why though, because we were doing things the way we had before. The way we grew up with; the way every church we've ever seen does things. But it was not working.

After a few months of sticking with it, Brent and the elders met and came to the same conclusion that we needed to step back. A "program oriented youth group" wasn't going to be the thing that worked in an inner city community. We all agreed that we wanted a more "missional outreach" approach. Everyone kind of came to the same place that it was better to slow down and do it right rather than rush into it and keep pushing at something that clearly was not working.

Right now we have no idea what a "youth program" at Providence will look like. We have alot of thoughts bouncing around of what we think might work or could work, but right now they are just ideas that God will have to develop and show us more about as we keep learning. Each place has it's own unique culture, and we are really excited to be able to just jump in and see how God leads. Our short term goals right now are: for Brent, he is going to try to get into at least one of the schools around here and just be around in some volunteer capacity. Interject himself in the lives of these kids and let God do the rest. Of course he loves sports, so if he can use that as an avenue to build relationships that would be right up his alley, so we'll see what he's able to do. My short term goal is to be matched up with a child or teen through a mentor program here downtown.

We are so SO excited about how God is working in our lives and how we know He will lead us to the families we are supposed to know. There is this freedom now that comes from letting go of forcing our understanding and methods into this neighborhood, and instead living intentionally with the people God has led us to be near and living out the gospel in those relationships. Something that was really encouraging was, on Sunday I was talking to a woman whose family just returned from serving in the Dominincan Republic for four years. We began talking about what we've learned this summer and the questions we still have and how much we still want and need to learn. And she told me that everything I was saying was exactly what they went through in the DR! It really is an interesting thing to learn the culture of where you are, and practically each city has it's own!

I will be sure to keep this updated on how things are going and what doors are opening. I should be doing a mentor interview here in the next couple weeks and get matched up with someone after that. I am EXTREMELY excited about that! It's amazing to think that God already knows who it is!

Thank you for all the continued prayer and support! We truly appreciate it :)