Where… Why… Hugh?

Yep. You read yesterday’s post correctly. As of August 1st, 2008 we are uprooting our lives and relocating our family in beautiful Cleveland County, North Carolina.

“Why Shelby?” you may ask.

For us, the answer is simple. God has told us to go!!!

But to give you a little more perspective on the area, here are a few of the reasons the Holy Spirit has made apparent to us…

1. RELIGIOUSLY SATURATED. The LAST thing this county needs is another church! Let’s be honest. We are still living in the south and just like every other southern city in America, there is practically a church on every single corner. But God has not called us to simply start another church. Rather He has called usher in a movement of His Spirit like this county has never experienced before. This county is like the dry bones lying on the bottom of valley in Ezekiel 37, and just like the prophet in the Scripture, God has called us to BREATH LIFE INTO THE DEAD, DRY RELIGION of this community.

2. NO KINGDOM IMPACT. The good news… 100,000 people currently live in this area. The bad news… less than 30% attend church on any regular or consistent basis. The potential… reaching the 70,000 people who are currently disconnected from the church and most likely any relationship with Jesus Christ. Some how, some where, some way we have got to reach those who are farthest from God, yet closest to us!!!

3. IT CAN’T BE DONE. You would be surprised at the people who have told us to go anywhere but Shelby. Everyone we have talked to has said “Shelby is too far gone and can never be truly impacted. Just walk away and go somewhere else. This community is the LAST PLACE to ever plant a church. You will never make it here.” And the reality is, all these highly respected people are EXACTLY RIGHT. In fact, several others have already tried, struggled, had very little success, if any success at all. 

But this is EXACTLY WHERE GOD WANTS US to be in order that HIS NAME will be made famous. We are throwing all caution to the wind and running as hard as we can after the call God has placed on our lives.

We are attempting something so great that it is doomed to failure unless God is in it!!!  

Because at the end of the day, it is His HONOR and His GLORY and His MAJESTY and His LEGACY we are to be about anyway.

So someone please, tell us again, this isn’t the place to plant a church. I dare you. Please. Say it just one more time… so that GOD CAN SHOW UP and DO WHAT HE DOES BEST!!! Which is become the only POSSIBLE SOLUTION in an IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION so that no one is mistaken about this one little reality…

HE IS THE LORD and HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS.

Thank you for praying for us…