Introducing Church Planting Team Members

About two years ago, while in New Orleans, Ellie and I began to pray for another family to join our church planting team. I was very specific in my prayers. I asked God to send us someone who could lead our “Worship Arts” with knowledge, creativity, and humility. I had no problem with God sending us a “volunteer” to do our music and other corporate worship elements, but my request was to have someone that could do this full-time for us. I also prayed that he would be married and that his wife would be connected to this work and have gifts/talents that she would desire to use as well. We weren’t looking for an employee, but a family that was as passionate about this work as we are. Other then the salvation of a family member, I’ve never prayed for anything as much as for this family.

This past August we met Josh and Melissa Rowell. Pretty much right from the beginning I thought they would fit in with the vision and call of Whispering Pines Community Church. We began to build a relationship with them and asked for their permission to pray about them joining the work. They agreed and began to pray about this as well. After a couple of months they believed God was calling them to make this commitment, but had some loose ends to tie up at Josh’s workplace. This week Josh had a meeting with that church and told them what God had been telling him and put in his notice. Josh and Melissa (oh and baby Andrew) will be joining us full-time very soon!!

I have to admit that God did not exactly answer my many prayers. Both Josh and Melissa are much better than what I was praying for. BOTH are incredibly gifted musicians. Josh plays several instruments and sings extremely well. I’m not sure if Melissa plays any instruments (I don’t think she does), but probably has the best voice of anyone I’ve ever heard. Both are passionate about leading others in worship of the Father and very humble in doing so. Melissa also has a passion for ministrying to children. This is huge because neither Ellie nor myself can be around children for more than a few minutes at a time ;).

Thank you God for answering my prayer requests even better than my feeble mind can ask.

Thank you, Josh and Melissa, for stepping out on faith and taking a job that can’t really pay you. (It might sound weird, but it will be fun to watch God provide for you.

Thanks to everyone who has joined me in praying for God to send us a team to plant this church.

Life is so good,

Billy