My Story Of Starting At A New Church During Covid
Two years ago today, I was driving a packed car full of books, office stuff, guitars, and a couple months of clothes from Colorado to Minnesota for my new Worship Pastor job at Grace Church!
It was literally the second week of the shutdown, so my last Sunday at my former church was without a goodbye, and my very first Sunday at Grace was leading worship in a completely empty 4,200 seat auditorium looking into a camera. None of us had any clue how long things were going to continue like that, or when things would be back to normal!
The original plan was for my wife and kids to stay in Colorado for the next few months so that the kids could finish their semester in school, and that I would fly back and forth every week to be with them in the meantime. With our Colorado house already sold and earthly belongings with a moving company, we planned for me to buy us a Minnesota house for them to come home to in May or June when they arrive. But after just a week, their school went to online for the rest of the semester.
There was rumor that the National Guard was shutting down state borders, and if I didn’t want to get stuck away from my family for an indeterminate amount of time, a quick decision was on the table. Perhaps we hit pause on my new role and I head back to Colorado until June when we wrongfully assumed this whole thing would be over?? My new Senior Pastor Troy Dobbs called and logically, providentially, and even prophetically said, “the final destination is HERE, not there, so since the kid’s school is online, get them here!” It made perfect sense. The dude is a leader.
At the time, I was graciously given a place to stay by one of our church’s Elders, and my family was staying with my parents in Colorado, but if my entire family was coming to Minnesota, that’s a lot more humans that take up a lot more space! We weren’t sure how that part of it would work out, but wouldn’t you know it, LITERALLY as soon as I hung up the phone from Pastor Troy with the decision to get them here, a message came into my inbox from a couple in our church who knew we were new and offered us the amazing Air BnB in their basement. Room enough for all of us as long as we needed.
With the decision made, provisions set, and continued rumor about border closings, Ashley loaded up the kids, said goodbye to my parents, and drove to Minnesota. We then went through all the fun Covid stuff - hoping I wouldn’t get stopped driving to work during lockdown, pre-recording services, frustrating online schooling, watching Tiger King, quarantine haircuts, the works. God even provided a house for us at a discounted rate, again, from rumors that the housing market was going to crash.
It took quite a while for things to feel somewhat normal, but with the bold leadership of our Pastor and the faithfulness of our congregation, we’re back to pre-Covid numbers and have grown! Our Christmas Eve candlelight service of 2021 was the first time I’ve seen our incredible auditorium completely full, and what a sight it was to behold! Every single Sunday is a pleasure. I say it all the time, but it’s my favorite day of the week.
All this to say, God’s timing is not our timing! I don’t think I would’ve written the story this way. If I had, there would have been no uncomfortability whatsoever and probably way more muscles on my body. But when God uses crazy, unconventional, and even uncomfortable circumstances to put Himself on display in our lives, there’s no better way to have it happen. He grows us through trial. He garners trust through uncertainty. He focuses us through loss. If everything worked out perfectly all the time, we’d feel no reason to need or trust Him in His faithfulness, provision, safety, goodness, sovereignty, and even humor. He can be trusted. He is writing the story. We are so thankful to be at Grace!
