Tuesday, October 10, 2006

IN LIMBO
Wow. My life has really taken a crazy turn in the past few months. It seems that as soon as I find my comfort-zone and begin to really settle in, God calls me to a new work. However, I do know that this is His will for us at this time. However, the sadness of leaving a church that we love is heartbreaking. We will be grieving over this one for some time.
So, right now, I feel like I'm in limbo. Hanging between two great works. I've done the preparations for my departure here, for others to take this ministry and be able to run with it. However, I'm not yet in California, so I can't really begin plans for that ministry. So, I'm spending my last few weeks here saying "goodbyes" and tying up loose ends...whatever that means. We're dreading the actual move, but we are excited about setting up camp in a new place.
We are going to be moving to Highland, California. Before we visited the church for the first time, I had never been further west than Weatherford, Texas. So, it has all been a very new experience for me, and our family. I can't believe that place is even on the same planet that I've lived on my whole life. It is nestled right up against the mountains, the beach is only 1 hour away, the desert is 40 minutes away, LA is an hour and a half, Anaheim is 1 hour away, and ski lodges are just a 20 minutes drive into the mountains. Isn't that crazy?! We were told that during the winter, people drive their kids up into the mountains, let them get out and play in the snow, and then come home and go swimming? Again, "what planet is this place on?" We are excited about the area, but even more excited about the church.
I will be blessed to work with a worship staff, composed of several full-time musicians and media/techs. As a result, God is blessing me with a broader platform from which to minister. There seems to be tremendous talent in the church, which would excite any incoming Worship Pastor. I'm praying that God will enable me to encourage the people, to teach about true worship, to facilitate worship throughout the church, and to take this ministry to new heights. They have been blessed in the past with great leadership, and I want to be remembered as such when my ministry comes to an end (which I hope is no time soon, because that may involved death or dismemberment, or something else really painful).
I'm also really excited about working with the Pastor, Rob Zinn. He appears to have his finger on the pulse of the community. And together, I'm praying we will see God save numerous souls, change lives, and restore countless families.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Jeff,

We are really, really going to miss ya'll.

Your post brings back memories. You will be living pretty close to where I lived as a kid. (Azusa)

I remember going up into the mountains and playing in a stream of water that was as cold as ice during the summer!

Every day, a plane would fly by our neighborhood, close enough to read the banner: Solarcaine stops sunburn pain!

Funny the things you remember....

Jeff Bumgardner said...

They had planes when you were a kid? (only a joke. don't hurt me)

Unknown said...

Ha ha ha.

Okay, so they were the little planes. You know, like Snoopy had when he was the Red Baron.

(not cool!) :P