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Day One

September 14, 2010 — Leave a comment

image: elleinad @ flickr

Yesterday marked a serious step into bi-vocational ministry for me.  I was able to get a four-to-six week temp position as a ‘personal care aide’ in a local facility for transitioning special needs students from high school to the ‘real world’ and yesterday was day-one for me assigned to a specific (and awesome!) student.

There are a number of reasons why this could be tough: I’m not sure I have the ‘makeup’ of someone who can successfully work a number of jobs, especially when one of them is of the consuming nature of church planting; I have a couple of health issues that mean exhaustion sets in easily; I’m going to be a new dad very soon and need to/want to be present with my family.  I may get to the end of this first stint at bi-vocationalism and realize I need to find a different, creative solution to our need, and I don’t think that would be shameful or out of place.

But there are also a number of reasons why this has the potential to be something really great:

  • Money: With some of our supporting churches not-yet sending in their promised amounts, and the uphill trek we’ve had to raising funding from individual and group sources, our personal support is running low.  Money helps us do things like eat and pay rent, both of which are awesome.
  • Delegation: working an additional job or two forces me to identify the things I’m doing that someone else should be doing because they can do them better and probably find more joy in them than I do.  Over the next few weeks, I’m going to have to be more intentional about giving ministry away–and that really, really excites me, not because of what will be off my plate but because it means raising other people up.
  • The future: if I can learn to hit my stride now as a bi-vocational church planting freelancer (:-)) while being a new dad trying to juggle life, ministry, and all the rest, it means I can develop a discipline that will allow me to keep working an additional job while planting The Bridge2.0–and that means more money for ministry/outreach in new ventures.

So, we’ll see how this next season of life goes, whether wildly successful or chalked up with ‘life lessons learned the hard way,’ I’m excited to see what God does.

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That way!

August 24, 2010 — Leave a comment

image: internets_dairy @ flickr

As Sarah and I seek clarity on the ‘where’ of our next ministry endeavor (planting The Bridge’s first daughter church in Pittsburgh), the cry of our spirits to God’s has been, “Show us where you are moving and how to join you there.”

A few years ago, in zeal and even greater  immaturity than I now possess, I probably would have forced an exciting vision to bubble up, created a strategic plan, and then charged after what I had fabricated.  But that isn’t right, and it isn’t at all what we want.  We are praying, “show us when and where to move,” and will develop our plan based on the open doors and sense of God’s leading.  In some ways, it feels like that means “let’s make this whole thing up as we move along,” but it’s the best way I know to heed what the Spirit directs rather than chase and build my own cardboard kingdom.

So, we wait for clarity and believe when the time is right we’ll find a passion for a specific people/area growing within us along with an undeniable sense of where we must be.  It is in the waiting and silence, however, when I am most tempted to pursue my own design.  I have a feeling waiting isn’t nearly as hard as the alternative of moving on our own terms and then expecting God’s blessing to follow…

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August JourneyNote, the Final Installment!

August 14, 2010 — Leave a comment

Image: Timothy Cox

A few days ago, we shared with you jus a few of the ways we have seen that the Holy Spirit is undeniably at work in Pittsburgh (I still can’t believe we get to be part of what he’s doing here!).  We also shared our very real need for individuals, groups, and churches to support us as missionaries here.  Yesterday we sent out a few ways you can help make sure we’re funded, and we genuinely thank you for prayerfully considering how God might use you to help us live and minister in Pittsburgh.

We are committed to the work we’re doing in Pittsburgh, and I am in the process of finding outside employment.  That’s where this final installment of the “Help Jeremiah and Sarah with Funding” JourneyNote miniseries comes in:

With church planting is my primary vocation, a ‘second job’ in order to make ends meet needs to be one of a much more flexible nature than traditional employment.  Given my experience as a writer, copywriter & editor, as well as with some design work, we are looking for opportunities to use this skill-set to serve people and businesses who may know what they want to say but not quite how to say it.  If you know someone in need of a skilled (ghost)writer with marketing and branding experience, please send them our way (we’ll be updating jxgomez.com as a point of contact for this).  Keep in mind, I am also available to speak at churches, camps, and other meetings…and would be happy to furnish samples and references for the afore-mentioned services.  By using the gifts of communication & preaching that God has blessed me with, and hopefully some creative time management, we expect to find ourselves more active and fulfilled than ever!

Again, here’s the contact information for sending support (make sure ‘Gomez” is in the memo line!):

The Bridge
℅ 264 Shawvlle Hwy
Woodland, PA 16881

We thank God for you and the part you’re playing in His story for Pittsburgh.

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August JourneyNote, Part 2

August 12, 2010 — Leave a comment

Good evening, fellow Sojourners!

Yesterday, we sent out a brief update about some of the exciting things happening with The Bridge; we also shared our need for financial support.  As promised, here are a few of the ways you can help:

Pray for God’s continued and unique provision; ask him to stir the hearts of donors and to create income opportunities for us.  We know God alone is our provider and has proven himself more than faithful time after time.  The way he provides often surprises us, and we’re thankful for the ‘willing vessels’ he is already using.  Please also pray that we would have eyes that see the opportunities which come our way and the courage to jump into them!

If you have committed to give but have not yet followed-through on that commitment as an individual, group, or church, please do so now; if you will be unable to fulfill what was promised, please let us know.  Many of our issues with shortfall have to do with the fact that promised support has not yet been delivered.  Just having those who already said they would give do just that would be a tremendous blessing.

If you have been waiting for the right opportunity to give, genuinely seek the Holy Spirit to see if now is that time–the Spirit of God is moving and we could use your help!

If you have been looking for a different way of providing resources to The Bridge, perhaps you can use our ministry catalog to give practical gifts toward our ministry.  The catalog can also be downloaded from The Bridge’s website here.

As you provide personal support, please make sure “Gomez” is in the memo line of your check and that it is sent to our bookkeeper at:
The Bridge
c/o 264 Shawville Hwy
Woodland, PA 16881

Thanks, again, for taking this journey with us.

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Prayer/JourneyNote

June 24, 2010 — Leave a comment

The cat is out of the bag.

While I’m not sure just where that expression came from (or why we take it to mean a secret is not-so-secret anymore), we have some news to share.

At our District Conference last monday, our District Superintendent shared The Bridge’s plan to daughter a new church in June of next year.  Sarah and I will be the lead planters in what we’re affectionately, for now, calling ‘Bridge 2.0’ and are excited about that next move.  This is definitely a big step, but it’s part of an even bigger dream of developing an urban church planting and training center from which church planting teams are prepared and sent throughout the region, nation, and globe.  It’s an impossible vision that will take the activity of God’s own Spirit to accomplish–and that excites us to no end!

For now, we ask you to pray for us as we identify the people and place where the next church will be.  We have some ideas, but we need to be doubly sure we are focused on where God is already moving rather than just choosing something based on selfish desire.

In the meantime, we’re fully engaged with The Bridge and are ramping up to a busy summer ministry season.  Please keep the following dates in mind as you pray for us and the ministry of The Bridge:

  • Sunday, June 27: Sharing at First Wesleyan in Shippensburg, PA
  • July 7-July 11: Youth volleyball clinic with the women’s volleyball team from Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Our largest event of the summer will be a free Family Fun Day at a local park on Saturday, August 28th; already churches and groups are signing up to take part in helping us offer a meaningful, engaging and totally free event that allows us to serve our community and get to know our neighbors as well as (hopefully) building momentum for our first preview service in September.

Thank you for taking this journey with us and praying for us.

We’re honored to have you in our corner.
Jeremiah, Sarah, and Jubilee

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