A GIANT LEAP OF FAITH RON GLADDEN | DIRECTIONAL LEADER
It takes a special courage to burn the bridge and take a leap into the unknown.
Thankfully, Abram did it. It was an act of faith that brought his fears to the forefront and didn’t draw much applause. Abram’s journey took him through some confusing and uncertain times but, at the end of the day, God came through. He kept His promise. He added half of “haha” to Abram’s name, and the new man, Abraham, became a man of destiny, a powerful world leader, and the father of the chosen people. (Coincidentally, Abraham’s son of the promise was named Isaac which means “haha”.)
A new story begins this month. Pastor Longshot has torched the bridge. He’s taken the leap and is now in midair between the past and the future. Not because he believes in his abilities to tackle God’s mission, but because he believes that God has the power to accomplish what He has purposed.(You probably guessed that his name has been changed to protect him and his family until they’re settled in southern California.)
Kenny Luck, founder of Every Man Ministries tells the truth: “The fact is that we are all afraid of the unknown. In the precarious space between the known and unknown, we spend a lot of energy trying to discern the unknown, predicting and protecting ourselves from the unknown at the expense of the present.”
“Let me explain why we did it,” Pastor L offers. “Pretty much every pastor is exasperated with the system. I had a fine position, a record of success, and enjoyed the cocoon of denominational support. But my spirit wasn’t at peace. I knew that God’s call was greater than what I was allowed to do. I couldn’t shake the prompting to escape from the bureaucracy and go all out for the heavenly vision. The time had come to walk by faith, not by sight.”
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. — Paul the Apostle
They made a list and checked it twice:
Pray with deep earnestness (Check)
Contact Mission Catalyst to begin the conversation (Check)
Visit Epikos and LIFE+APP to get a feel for some local MC churches (Check)
Put the house up for sale (Check)
Sign a contract and set the closing date (Check)
Find a job for Mrs. L in California (Check)
Start packing and schedule the move (Check)
Another item on the list is to create the three structures that every non-denominational church must build: Legal structure, Financial structure, and Ministry structure. We are working on that one together. We at Mission Catalyst have helped a lot of churches do it, and we’re neck deep in helping Pastor L. In the meantime, let me thank you in advance for getting involved.
Here is what you can do:
Pray for Pastor Longshot and his family. And pray that his courage and bias toward action will inspire others to do the same.
Send us the contact info for every person in the Colton, California, area who may want to know that a new church is coming to town.
Help us provide financial support for Pastor L and his family. Please send the most generous gift you possibly can so that we can pour some significant fuel on the fire.
Thanking God for the freedom,
Ron
P.S. Let me say again, with as much enthusiasm as I can muster, Thank you for helping Mission Catalyst financially. God will multiply your gift.