Five years ago we began Brand New Church with hope and anticipation. My desire was to be a part of work that changed lives, inspired the seeking, fed the hungry and impacted our community. Needless to say, God has blown our minds with greater vision than we could even see. I am learning that this process is a beautiful, living, ever-changing organism. Primarily, in this one area…”People come and people go.” As a Pastor, this can be very difficult. You pray for, walk with, mentor, even baptism them and they still may be “called” to another work. Why? Even Jesus experienced this in ministry. John 6:66 “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” Here is what God showed me through a friend…“The Space Shuttle does not get in space with all that it started with.” As it climbs it continues to drop off time sensitive equipment.
-Trailers
-Launch Pad
-Towers
-Mid-deck and Flight deck platforms
-Propellant Transfer Lines
-External Rocket Boosters
-Fuel
-Auxiliary Electric Systems
-Thrusters
Remember, some are called to get you there, but not orbit with you. Don’t go back, keep rising higher and look for new horizons. This revelation has rocked my world. Let it refresh you.
Source: Breaking All the Rurals
Shannon O’Dell is a devoted husband and father of four. People know him as innovative, inspiring and committed to reaching out to struggling rural churches and churches with a rural state of mind. He has served Brand New Church as senior pastor for over seven years in Bergman, Arkansas, a small community of just over 400 people.
Brand New Church has grown from 31 to 2000 members with 7 campuses, network churches, and an online campus under Shannon’s leadership. He is the author of “Transforming Church in Rural America”.
