This is part four of the Steps Series.

We entered year four with a new name, a new place to meet, and a “pocket full of dreams.”

Many things seemed to fall into place at once. Onsite storage at the Rec Center, great relationship with the city, a new family who came on board as the other family had moved on, needs for meeting in the new place were provided, and more.

We worked hard, we served hard, we planned hard and we prayed hard. …And we invited and we invited.

But the growth did not happen. I can think of a number of things that were real roadblocks to major growth, but sometimes a running list of such things just comes across as “backward glance excuses.” So I’ll provide some of that information later as “lessons learned,” in a future post called, “Stepping Stones.” But for now, let’s just say that we spent our final stretch marching uphill.

Halfway through the year I was really wondering why God would not release me from this. Financially, my family was in a fast sinking pit. All of our reserves had been exhausted and I had been working other jobs along the way, but it still wasn’t enough to even take care of the basics. Those on my lead team were having similar struggles.

The sacrifices [or maybe just unwise choices?] we were making would have been more bearable if we were actually achieving our goal. But the fact of the matter was, we were having a difficult time getting people through the doors.

And even when they did come through our doors, the “trickle in” factor and the “small crowd” factor worked against us.

It wasn’t so much a “slow motion train wreck” as much as it was a “slow motion train coming to a stop on the tracks.” When it finally came to a stop, we could stand there in front of the train and see the tracks in front of us and where they were headed. We could see a great destination ahead. We could see the crowds that were waiting for us just around the bend. But we could also see that we were out of coal for the engnine.

It’s hard to explain how we knew it was time to draw things to a close. But we just knew. All at once and all on one Sunday, God made it clear to my small team, to me and to Leona that it was time to stop. He was releasing us from this assignment. A few phone calls and visits later and Compass Church had come to a complete stop.

I don’t know exactly why I couldn’t get a peace about shutting things down 10 months earlier. But I do know that God taught me things about church planting, ministry, vision, myself and church in general that I don’t believe I could have learned any other way.

The concept of “more, stronger and closer” followers of Jesus Christ was refined during this past year. An innovative format for a weekly gathering of men was developed during this time. And there was growth and maturity that took place in the lives of those who were with us.

I also discovered that the “tracks” we were on would not lead us to the right destination. I realized where we needed to go, and began to understand that we couldn’t “get there from here.” I knew that it would take a different approach, a different starting point and a fresh strategy to achieve the vision.

But in November of 2006, neither my family nor my team had the ability, strength or resources to continue. So within a week of the decision to draw Compass to a close, we took our last step.

The “last” step, however, is not the “final” step.

It is merely the step that precedes the next one…

Next in this series: “Next Steps”

This is part 3 in the “Steps” series.

Here’s a “big picture” time line of the life of Compass Church, in terms of movement and major turning points.

Year One – Started with 6 adults, added four more and “launched” public services in a meeting place that was hard to find in an area that was not fully developed. Began to understand how the area was growing and began developing strong relationships with the towns of the Alliance, Texas area. Received a couple of awards from two of those towns.

Year Two – Moved from “hard to find meeting place” to Roanoke. Held services in a community center, a public park, a coffee shop [that went out of business after we left, interestingly enough] and a school. Moved to a Saturday night service while we were at the coffee shop. Received more awards from the cities, but we lost people with each move…

Year Three – Outside funding ended, our rent increased [but our attendance didn't] and we had to leave the school. Made arrangements with the city to rent the Roanoke Recreation Center for worship services when construction on the facility was completed. The goal for completion was August. . So we met briefly in a “storefront” property [more on this later], followed by the building of a supporting church, then in public parks, and for a period of time in homes. [This makes me kind of tired just typing it...]

To add to the confusion, we also had to change our schedule to Sunday nights while in the storefront property and the building of the supporting church. Once again, we lost people with each move [gee...I wonder why? ].

We also discovered that the Roanoke Rec Center we had been waiting for would not be completed utill December and not really be available until January of the next year. I believe this is when I sent out an urgent request for prayer through my blog….

Year Four – At this point, we were basically back to square one. Another key family moved out of the area before we ever made it to the Rec Center and honestly I was not sure I was up to the next leg of the journey.

With a “rag-tag crew” and $0 financial support [except for a few family members], we began worship services at the Roanoke Recreation Center. I was tired. I was discouraged. I wasn’t sure my family could take much more sacrifice and wondered aloud to God if I had become worse than an unbeliever for not providing very well for them. Not exactly the mood one generally shoots for when launching a church.

I had a long, loud conversation with God in the middle of a big field. I asked God if He still wanted me here and could I go home, now please. But I was not given a release from the assignment of attempting to plant a church in Roanoke.

…At least not yet.

Next in this series: “Last Steps”

This post is the second in the “Steps” series.

When we first arrived in the Alliance, Texas area, it was a place full of promise. There were new neighborhoods being built everywhere, and just a glance at a master plan for the area made it clear that this was the place to be. It was shaping up to be the fastest growing area in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

But when we started the church there were far more cow pastures than neighborhoods here. The neighborhoods were in the works, but the population was still pretty slim.

The “Alliance, Texas” area itself was more of a concept than a reality at that time, consisting of a master planned land development project by the Perot family (Yes, that Perot family .) And as such, it loosely included the towns of Keller, Roanoke, Haslet, Justin, Westlake, Northlake, Trophy Club and North Fort Worth within what is sometimes referred to as the “Alliance, Texas Corridor.” A brilliant development with big business appeal, Perot’s company, Hillwood, aimed at the big boys first. Retail and housing developments followed.

The heart of this development was the Alliance Airport, located about a mile or so away from the Texas Motor Speedway. When we discovered a building near the Airport that we could rent for worship services, we were excited. We would be able to meet in the dead center of the Alliance, Texas area. [Of course we didn't know at the time that it really was the "dead" center, but - more about that later.] Yes, one location to rule them all…:-D

Our last Sunday at the Church we were leaving was in October. I was free to begin recruiting team members around this time. One couple said, “Yes” right away. Another couple called us up and came on board a few weeks later. In November, another couple was on board. We had our first public worship service in January…

Yeah. About 2 months from Team to Start.

…It wasn’t very pretty.

Of course, to most church planters today (myself included), starting public services this soon in the process would generally be considered insanity. But, start them we did. Not “despising the small beginnings,” we basically hit the ground running and didn’t stop running for four years.

And on a personal level, I knew that this was where God wanted me to be – planting a church, learning to risk, caring about people, becoming a servant, making sacrifices, working through challenges, creatively solving problems, becoming fully dependent on Him and working through my understanding of what church could and should be.

Today, the Alliance, Texas area is everything that was predicted about it in those early days. It is truly a booming area, adding new neighborhoods and retail environments at an amazing pace. There are people everywhere. For reaching that “boom” of population, however, we were probably about 3 years too early.

But I am certain that God wanted us here, nonetheless. When we didn’t draw the crowds we had hoped for early on, I knew it was going to be tough, but hey. That’s just part of the deal. What worthwhile endeavor isn’t challenging?

Now it would be very easy for me to “pick apart” every decision at every turn and challenge we experienced along the way and spend a ridiculous amount of time over-analyzing why our church plant has drawn to a close after four years, but doing so would be tedious and unproductive. Instead, I’ll be focusing on the things that I have learned and that will be helpful for the future. I’ll throw in a few “behind the scenes” stories along the way.

The next post in this series will provide a basic “time line” of the journey of Compass Church.

…And what an exciting, difficult, powerful, frustrating and wonderful journey it has been…

* This is the beginning of a series in which I’ll be “unpacking” my experience thus far as a church planting pastor and how we arrived where we are. It won’t be a voluminous anthology or anything, but by necessity the posts will be a little long. “Popcorn” posts on unrelated stuff will be scattered along the way…

In 1972, I placed my faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at the age of seven. From that day forward I have never known a time when I have not sensed God’s leading and presence in my life.

When I was a teenager, God unmistakably called me to serve Him in full time ministry. I remember the night I fell on my knees at an altar in response to His calling and prayed fervently, “Lord, I’ll do whatever You want me to do and I’ll go wherever You want me to go.“

And God has pretty much held me to that. In fact, He’s had me “doing” and “going” quite a bit over the years.

In fact, I’ve been in ministry since 1984, serving in a paid staff position from then to now with no lapse between church positions.

[Do the math. I'm a "geezer" to some and a "whipper snapper" to others. But for just a little perspective, I'm two years younger than Johnny Depp, so I've definitely still got a lot of life in me. Barely getting started, in fact.]

I have served as a youth pastor, worship arts pastor, recreation coordinator, associate pastor and senior pastor. I’ve worked with children in a variety of ministry settings. I’ve been a summer missionary, written, produced and presented a full scale dramatic musical with orchestration, performed concerts, spoken to groups of all sizes, conducted weekly nursing home services, performed weddings, ministered in many funerals, made countless hospital visits, led hundreds of Bible studies, written worship songs, counseled students and parents of students and served in a variety of volunteer roles with the cities of my community.

I helped start a Christian club on campus and was in the first graduating class of the Caddo Parish Magnet High School for the performing arts and academics, receiving a diploma with distinction. I’ve earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry, and a Master of Arts in Religious Education, including a minor in Music and a Youth ministry specialization. I’m a certified graduate of the Covey Leadership Center’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” I was voted “funniest” in high school, and elected “wittiest” and “Junior Class Favorite”in college. I think I have a few perfect attendance certificates and other miscellaneous awards lying around somewhere. I like long walks on the beach and kissing in the rain. Yadda, yadda, I think you get the point.

And it’s all fine and dandy. If you’re a Christ follower, you could probably tell a similar story. If you’re also a pastor, your list may certainly be longer than mine.

But when God called me to plant a church, I really entered a whole new world. It was one He had been preparing me for and one in which He wanted to prepare me.

Back in 2002, there was no mistaking that God wanted me to leave the comfort of a thriving, long term ministry (with a great salary package and housing allowance, I might add) and move to a new area for the purpose of planting a new church.

He didn’t tell me what would happen next or how it would turn out, but He most certainly told me to go. To not go would have been disobedience.

And although I wrestled with it for an extended period of time, I eventually said, “Yes” again to His call, even as I remembered my teenage prayer. God’s call is not static, after all, and the deal was still on.

So like a skydiver who grabbed a blanket to break his fall on his way out of the plane, and with only a slight backward glance, I jumped full force into the big blue sky.

(To be continued.)