From the Church House to the Mission Field
My dad started pastoring his first church in 1997. We were only there for ten months. We had a bad experience there, but God knew what He was doing! He was preparing my dad to be the pastor of Eagles View Baptist Church.
My dad started pastoring Eagles View in July of 2000. When I found out that my dad was going to pastor again, I was a little apprehensive because of what our family had gone through with the previous church. We had been hurt badly by the people in the church. They would say they backed him up all the way, but behind his back, they were saying and doing differently. Since what we had been through had been my only experience as a pastor's kid, that was all I could go by.
Being at that first church (which will remain nameless) hurt my family and me in many was. I had been really upset with the people there because of what they had done to my daddy. After all, that's my daddy! It really, really hurt, but I had to learn to let go of that.
When we first started going to Eagles View, I knew immediately that they were different people. The people loved my daddy. They took care of my daddy. Seeing how they treated my daddy was a huge help to me, because it made me know that they loved him and they were going to back him up.
When I first became a pastor's daughter, I was scared to death! After all, the whole church would be watching me to see how I acted, to see what I did, and to hear what I said. I know how I had previously watched my pastor's family, and I was only nine or ten at that time. I really looked up to them. I was one of those people who held the pastor and his family up as really special people. I'm not saying they are not special, because they are, but I would have been mortified if they had done something wrong. Because of the way I looked at my pastor and his family, I just knew people were going to look at me that way, and it scared me!
Now, I am one of those people who do not share their personal feelings to others, so as far as I know, no one knew I was that scared of messing up and saying or doing something wrong. If I could just say one thing to church members it would be this: Don't expect your pastor and his family to be perfect, They do make mistakes, and they will mess up. I know from watching my Mom and my Dad, and experiencing it myself. It brings stress on the family knowing some people in the church expect them to do no wrong.
Eagles View has been the most wonderful church, the people are awesome and they love my dad. They have been a huge blessing!
I guess it was about six months ago, we noticed something within the church had changed. The people still loved us, they loved my dad's preaching, but the services were different and I sensed a separation with the people. My dad said the services lately had been dry (which I too had sensed) and that he had no liberty while preaching. I expressed my feelings to my dad about what I thought was going on, I began to tell him I believed we were fixing to leave the church sometime soon. It was then that he said the same thing: he believed we were fixing to leave as well.
It was about three months later that my dad sat the family down...for a talk! When daddy sat us down all I could think was "Uh oh, what did we do?". Ha ha ha! Anyway, daddy sat us down and began to tell us what he felt God was leading us to do. He told us he felt God was moving us into missions. MISSIONS! I knew we were going to be leaving, but I did not see this coming. This was the thought running back and forth in my mind. Daddy said he felt God was leading him to go with the Highways and Hedges Prison Ministry. He then asked us what we thought and how we felt about it.
We all took a turn telling what we thought, and when it came to my turn I told daddy that I knew we would be leaving, but I had NO idea we would be becoming missionaries. I told daddy that I was fine with it if that was what God wanted. It was about three weeks later when daddy told the church we would be leaving. I was both excited and sad...is that even possible?
Daddy's last official day as pastor of Eagles View Baptist Church will be April 27th of this year. It will be then that we will start out on full time deputation. Right now we are going on deputation part time, going only on Sunday nights...since our evening services on Sunday's start at three. We have already gone to one church on deputation, and the whole ride there I was excited, anxious, nervous, and scared all at once! But the second we pulled into the church parking lot, all of the nervousness and fear was gone! I was not nervous at all. God knew what I needed, and that was for the nervousness to go away! So I thank God for that.
Ultimately, I am really, really excited about all the traveling we will be doing, and the work that God will be doing! I am nervous about going into a new church every service and meeting new people everyday, but I know I will enjoy it!
Please pray for us, we are just starting out and have no idea what we are doing! Ha ha ha! So all the prayers would be greatly appreciated as we begin serving God as missionary's with the Highways and Hedges Prison Ministry to the prisoners in the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia prisons.
Trusting God,
Kristina
*****
Author Info: Kristina is now faithfully serving God as a missionary's daughter and is the author of Kristina's Keepsakes.
My dad started pastoring Eagles View in July of 2000. When I found out that my dad was going to pastor again, I was a little apprehensive because of what our family had gone through with the previous church. We had been hurt badly by the people in the church. They would say they backed him up all the way, but behind his back, they were saying and doing differently. Since what we had been through had been my only experience as a pastor's kid, that was all I could go by.
Being at that first church (which will remain nameless) hurt my family and me in many was. I had been really upset with the people there because of what they had done to my daddy. After all, that's my daddy! It really, really hurt, but I had to learn to let go of that.
When we first started going to Eagles View, I knew immediately that they were different people. The people loved my daddy. They took care of my daddy. Seeing how they treated my daddy was a huge help to me, because it made me know that they loved him and they were going to back him up.
When I first became a pastor's daughter, I was scared to death! After all, the whole church would be watching me to see how I acted, to see what I did, and to hear what I said. I know how I had previously watched my pastor's family, and I was only nine or ten at that time. I really looked up to them. I was one of those people who held the pastor and his family up as really special people. I'm not saying they are not special, because they are, but I would have been mortified if they had done something wrong. Because of the way I looked at my pastor and his family, I just knew people were going to look at me that way, and it scared me!
Now, I am one of those people who do not share their personal feelings to others, so as far as I know, no one knew I was that scared of messing up and saying or doing something wrong. If I could just say one thing to church members it would be this: Don't expect your pastor and his family to be perfect, They do make mistakes, and they will mess up. I know from watching my Mom and my Dad, and experiencing it myself. It brings stress on the family knowing some people in the church expect them to do no wrong.
Eagles View has been the most wonderful church, the people are awesome and they love my dad. They have been a huge blessing!
I guess it was about six months ago, we noticed something within the church had changed. The people still loved us, they loved my dad's preaching, but the services were different and I sensed a separation with the people. My dad said the services lately had been dry (which I too had sensed) and that he had no liberty while preaching. I expressed my feelings to my dad about what I thought was going on, I began to tell him I believed we were fixing to leave the church sometime soon. It was then that he said the same thing: he believed we were fixing to leave as well.
It was about three months later that my dad sat the family down...for a talk! When daddy sat us down all I could think was "Uh oh, what did we do?". Ha ha ha! Anyway, daddy sat us down and began to tell us what he felt God was leading us to do. He told us he felt God was moving us into missions. MISSIONS! I knew we were going to be leaving, but I did not see this coming. This was the thought running back and forth in my mind. Daddy said he felt God was leading him to go with the Highways and Hedges Prison Ministry. He then asked us what we thought and how we felt about it.
We all took a turn telling what we thought, and when it came to my turn I told daddy that I knew we would be leaving, but I had NO idea we would be becoming missionaries. I told daddy that I was fine with it if that was what God wanted. It was about three weeks later when daddy told the church we would be leaving. I was both excited and sad...is that even possible?
Daddy's last official day as pastor of Eagles View Baptist Church will be April 27th of this year. It will be then that we will start out on full time deputation. Right now we are going on deputation part time, going only on Sunday nights...since our evening services on Sunday's start at three. We have already gone to one church on deputation, and the whole ride there I was excited, anxious, nervous, and scared all at once! But the second we pulled into the church parking lot, all of the nervousness and fear was gone! I was not nervous at all. God knew what I needed, and that was for the nervousness to go away! So I thank God for that.
Ultimately, I am really, really excited about all the traveling we will be doing, and the work that God will be doing! I am nervous about going into a new church every service and meeting new people everyday, but I know I will enjoy it!
Please pray for us, we are just starting out and have no idea what we are doing! Ha ha ha! So all the prayers would be greatly appreciated as we begin serving God as missionary's with the Highways and Hedges Prison Ministry to the prisoners in the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia prisons.
Trusting God,
Kristina
*****
Author Info: Kristina is now faithfully serving God as a missionary's daughter and is the author of Kristina's Keepsakes.
Labels: Guest Blogger
posted by Kristina at
7:41 AM
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