In the book, I briefly touched on the fact that our church is struggling. We are an aging body, and there are now more of our members in Heaven than on Earth. We have been in our building for over fifty years, and the community has changed around us. I have been saying for some time that we have a choice before us. Either we grow, or we will die…literally!

What does that look like? How, with our few people and limited resources, are we to change direction? Are we equipped to serve the community in which we now find ourselves? What of our original mission? Has the world around us changed so much that it is no longer necessary? I still believe there is a place for what we do, but it need not be all we do. It will likely look different than it did in the past.

I have my own challenges. I believe I was made for this, yet the responsibilities of life seem to crowd it out. Between a full-time job and caring for my wife, how can I put in the time and effort the church really needs. At least for a while, I don’t have to worry about the job, but I still need one. So, my job is to look for one. I remain convinced that God put me here, but I confess that sometimes a little doubt creeps in.

Honestly, I’m also a little afraid. We have a mission field right there around us, but it is one I feel ill-equipped to cultivate. We have taken some steps to address physical need in a compassionate and constructive manner, but we have not had any experience putting the new policies into practice. I’m concerned that I lack the background necessary to address the challenges present in our community. Yet I know we must act. Jesus has given us a commission, and we must be about it if we say that He is our Lord.

So, when our local Baptist association informed us of a coordinated effort to help churches with various projects, I decided the time was now. I had already been thinking that a community outreach in the form of an outdoor event might be productive and had tossed around the idea with the membership. It was well received, but we had no clear idea of how we would go about it, and it just rolled off into a corner.

Now, we will have help. We’re finally doing something. I dubbed the project Wheels Up. The name came out of our identity as a church serving those with disabilities combined with the idea of an airplane taking off. It is my hope that it begins a new adventure for us as we build a new and diverse generation of disciples.

I wrote in the book, “You will never get anywhere unless you move.” Inaction is a decision, and not a good one. It applies to organizations as well as to people. I do not know what the outcome of this effort will be, but we are moving. Now we must trust that the Holy Spirit will give us direction.