Next weekend, we will be commissioned here in Colorado Springs, as a finale of sorts, for our time as church planting residents with the Frontline Church Planting Center. Later this month, we will participate in our formal church planter assessment with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), praying to be formally approved and “sent out” to be missionaries/church planters. This all means that our year of formal learning, monthly intensives, and assignments and training to prepare to plant a church will come to a close as of this month and that, Lord willing, we will be approved to officially be NAMB missionaries in Colorado!
Our call to plant/love/serve is specifically to a “neighborhood” of Denver called Lowry, as many of you know. Prior to our move from Alabama, and across the year we have trained/lived in Colorado Springs, God has repeatedly confirmed our call to this specific place and people!
Many of you will remember that we moved here, planning to be in Colorado Springs for one year for training, then move to Lowry immediately, on mission. Our training year will end at the end of August. However, God has presented us the unique gift of an opportunity to work for a ministry called Apartment Life when we move to Lowry, which will be an awesome platform for us to begin to build relationships with Lowry residents and for God to birth and grow a Missional community out of our home. We have completed the interview process and been approved for hire, but we are patiently and prayerfully waiting for a placement within Lowry. Because we feel this has been fully arranged by God thus far, we will wait until the placement is available, but pray it is before Christmas and are ready any day now. We will continue to live in Colorado Springs, continue to be mentored and coached, keep ministering and discipling here for now. Eric is seeking further employment here and the kids and I will begin our homeschool year next week. Though life will continue as it has been here, minus residency meetings and assignments, our hearts are still pulled toward Lowry and we long to be on the ground there, meeting needs and ministering daily.
Some days it is easy to question the delays, but God continues to make it clear that His ways are perfect, just as Psalm teaches!
In the past month, He has used His people to make known to us a single adult female, living in Lowry, who is a Christian. She described herself to Eric as just now being “ready” to see God do big things in her neighborhood and to be a part of it. She is excited to hear more about our family and our call, Journeyman Church, and our big prayers for Lowry! Just this past week, we found out that a young Christian family has recently moved to Lowry. They were formerly involved in a church plant in Oklahoma and we will be contacting them next week to see how God can unite us all for His Glory! So, even in days we see as delays, He is still going ahead of us, preparing the way for the growth of His Kingdom. Please pray we will be able to move very soon, and that God will continue to grow us and use us where we are until then!
If you are interested in specific needs individuals or groups can meet as we minister here and prepare to move, such as this recent generous gift from Courtland Baptist Church in N Alabama, please email us at eric@sanfordfamily.org or amanda@sanfordfamily.org.
