Annapolis Project
I love to rock climb. It’s challenging, a great work out, and it scares me. In many of the places I climb, the only way to get to the bottom of the rock face is to repel down. To me repelling is the scariest part of climbing. It means putting your gear and your setup to the test right off the bat. It also means walking over the edge. There is nothing scarier than walking over the edge of a cliff. Your life depends on the rope. In many ways, it is very similar to planting a church. You are walking over the edge of a faith cliff completely reliant on God. Nothing is scarier, and nothing is more exciting.
When you repel you have to let go of all that is familiar to you. You have to let go of feeling in control, the feeling of standing on something firm and trade these in for a feeling of dependence, and a feeling of volatility. My wife and I have dreamed of planting a church for ten years now, and finally that day is here. We will be stepping off staff at New Life Christian church on the 31st of August and will wake up Tuesday morning September 1st living the dream.
While it is an amazing feeling to let go of all that is familiar, it is also quite scary. It’s the good kind of scary that makes you want to lean into God more than you ever have, and heightens your awareness of everything that is going on around you. It’s a kind of scary that makes you glad to be alive and living for the only thing that really matters in this world.
I was reading Matthew 9 the other day and I found a piece of scripture that I have read and heard in sermons on countless occasions, but it takes on a new meaning in this moment of my life. Jesus is getting ready to send his disciples out to tell people the good news. He prepares them through his example and through his words. Matthew 9:35-38 records, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
If I was totally honest with you, I would tell you that I am not afraid of raising support and I am not afraid of finding quality co-workers to serve on our staff. What I am truly afraid of is getting to Annapolis and not connecting with anyone!
Now for the most part, I realize that this fear is irrational. The most important thing we are going to do in
I believe that the harvest is plentiful in Annapolis. In a city where there is so much affluence, there is also significant poverty. In an area where people seem to have their lives in order, we have already encountered people struggling in their marriages, people with financial difficulties, and people who are longing for meaning in their life. Matthew 9:35 talks about how Jesus traveled about teaching the good news and healing people. He had compassion for people who had lost their way. We want to follow Jesus’ example and meet people where they are, and tangibly show them the love of God.
Our greatest desire is to meet the needs of real people in Jesus’ name. I know that there are many relationships in Annapolis that God is preparing in advance in order to bring more people into his kingdom. We just have to trust in him and be willing to walk over the edge.
Josh Burnett, Lead Planter