Napkins and Church Plants

I was looking through my own blog archives to find one certain post. It’s the one where I talk about a napkin. I know, it’s weird to write about a cheap piece of paper, but that is the kind of thing I do.

Our journey with Bayou City Fellowship started well before we sat down at the first vision casting meeting. It did, even though we were not aware. We went to support our friends, pat them on the back, encourage them, and hopefully we would remember to pray them through their next months of starting a church.

As we sat and listened to Curtis talk about his vision for our beloved city, we felt a strange understanding, it was the same vision we carried deep in our soul. I think, even though we did not voice it then, we both left the meeting on Malcomson street knowing this had everything to do with a crazy napkin I had tucked away for keeping.

For help in understanding what a napkin and starting a church have to do with one another, I have attached below the one post I searched archives for.

June 22

i have this random napkin that i think i will keep forever. it has some scribbles on it. i wrote the words. it is not a song. it is not chapters for a book i hope to one day write. it is a sort of surrender note to God.

Dated on March 2 of this year, the note reads:

Dear God–

we are in.

whatever that means.

That night me and Ernest were talking over our chips and salsa about how we felt an urgency to say yes to God. We didn’t know exactly what we were saying yes to. We just knew that on the horizon was what we have been prepared for. I would like to go as far as to say created for. Writing it on a napkin was our way to make it official to ourselves, you know, in case we tried to chicken out.

Tonight, once again, E and I sat talking over a basket of chips and a bowl of warm salsa. We talked about our new church plant, about the seed project, about student ministry, about our dreams, about maturity, about life one year out, we talked about God. Over and over i kept remembering that silly napkin. I actually have it next to me right now. It’s strange how a thin piece of paper can become something like a treasure.

Our family was to be part of the Bayou City Fellowship story. Today we are months in and bone deep into the working of a new church plant. Together with our core group we have a vision for the city, and more specifically, my husband and I have a vision for the students of our city. We are most excited to offer a place where friends and students can come worship, experience community, and be mobilized to live a life on mission.

Our vision may sound simple, but of course, it’s not. As a team we would love you to pray us closer to Jesus. A church that walks close to Jesus, yes, that is the kind of church we hope to be.