A Transition I Hope You Don't Miss

So What is next for me?

You may not know this but this is my third year of asking and pursuing this question: Here is my life God, what do you want to do with it (Mathew 6:33)? With this question in mind, I have been trying to seek long term plans that would glorify Him. Though I strongly desire long term direction all I know are next steps. My next steps are taking a year to discern long term career, to work at UCSD, and to pursue an internship at my church, Coast Vineyard. The church internship is exciting to me because of its focus and getting to do ministry for work, which is basically my dream job. This internship is where you can continue with me in prayer and giving if you feel led as I will be building up a support team. So the good news is that we can continue doing bold things to see His name lifted high and His Kingdom to come! What is the focus of my internship?

Your Kingdom Come in the LGBT Community!

How about reaching arguably some of the most difficult people to reach, those that identify as people of the  Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) community. There are at least 4 main positions basically at work within the church. The camps could be categorized as those who hate on these people and want none in the church or seemingly any where near God (you’ve seen the signs “God hates fags”), those who think a same sex monogamous relationship is a perfectly legit and biblically accepted life style, those who never want to talk about the issue/reality of the struggle, and a small minority looking to see the LGBT people loved and brought into the Kingdom while at the same time learning to walk out what it means for these people to follow Jesus along their unique path of sanctification. I belong to the latter. It is my opinion that reaching people that identify themselves to be members of the LGBT community with the message of grace will be a divisive issue in the church in these last days. I want to share the Gospel in its fullness with these people and walk along with them through what could be a long process of surrender (probably as long as any other lost sinner). With the support of Coast vineyard and its community of leaders, Esther and I plan to be on the front lines of God's Kingdom  recapturing more people who are ultimately God's most desired treasure (study Mark 3:20-27). We want to see Jesus get crowned in Hillcrest as the King of kings and one who desires relationship with the LGBT people.

Building bridges to the LGBT in Hillcrest

As I have mentioned to many of you in previous ministry related meetings, I feel I have been called by God to build bridges to the lost. I have also mentioned that I cannot build a bridge alone. Moreover, building functioning and long term and God-glorifying relationships with the LGBT is no small task as there isn’t much of a precedent for doing this. I desire to be on the front lines but I cannot be there without support and I cannot do the work God wants to do without a team. Esther and I are praying and pressing in to live in the Hillcrest area. This is an area in San Diego known for tolerance  (except maybe to evangelical Christians) and rainbows (the common symbol used to emphasize diversity and I would say mainly people of the LGBT). I want to reach out to you all to invite you to continue to support Esther and I. I hope you are  as excited as I am, but I imagine there will be more questions and many I can’t and may never be able to answer. But I welcome those questions on your minds and so please ask. At this point I hope you are starting to ask yourselves,  "how can we support this bridge-building project"?

Next Steps:

I am not formally an intern yet, but I believe God is opening doors and believe God is longing to move in the LGBT community and in Hillcrest. I have been meeting with my Pastor and we have been forming the nature of the internship so that we can bring the internship before the board of the church. If they approve it, then I will need your help. I need prayer. I say again, I need prayer. Would you pray during this transition as the likely start date is coming up quick? See the prayer requests. Moreover, I plan on contacting current financial support team members and see if you want to support still. I will be raising 1500/mth to be a part time intern. Would you pray and consider your level of commitment?