Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

Not Alpharetta, GA – but Charlotte, NC

I’m sure some of you have read or gone through the Bible study “Experiencing God.”

Henry Blackaby says, God is always at work around you and He invites you to become involved with Him in His work. He says His invitation to work with Him always leads you to a “crisis of belief” that requires “faith and action.” He says that we must make major adjustments in our life to join God in what He is doing.

Well, this is truly what God is doing with our family. He is at work right here in our community and we believe He is calling us to join Him at North Point, Charlotte , a new and “different” church. They are barely a year old. The pastor, Don McCollum and I have been friends almost since my family moved to Charlotte. When he was in the beginning stages of his church start, he was walking our neighborhood, talking with people, getting to know them some, and inviting them to North Point if they were not already worshiping somewhere else. As I was out washing our car, he introduced himself. As we talked, he loved the fact that I had planted a church several years earlier. He said we ought to do this together. However, my family had just relocated to Charlotte and I was in my 5th month as Pastor at my former church. Don and I had lunch a few times as Pastor friends. He had told me if for some reason things didn’t work out, to call on him.

Well, as many of you know, the “change” that my church felt God led me here for became to much “change” for some to accept. After months of prayer, God made it very clear that I needed to resign for the sake of the church and for the sake of my family. The week after I resigned, I dropped by Don’s office for some reason. I have no idea why. Just to talk I guess, because as far as I was concerned it looked as if I was headed for a secular job. I wasn’t even considering a ministry position. In fact, we were ready to put our home up for sale and move to Huntersville or Mooresville, NC, which is north of us. Or, move to Atlanta, get a secular job, and worship at the church of my friend and Pastor, Marty Duren. He had invited our family to move to his community to have a time of rest and healing. We seriously considered his generous offer. We also had a similar offer from my long time family friends, Dale and Andi Clements from Johnson City, TN. However, those were “MY plans” and God had “HIS plan.”

As I walked into North Point’s office, I literally walked in on Don having his staff meeting. I apologized, was going to leave, and come back later. However, Don said, “don’t leave” and we went outside to talk. I shared with him that I had resigned my church and was just stopping by to talk. He said, “I don’t think you coming over was an accident.” He began to tell me that he is being coached by the pastor at the Cove Church in Mooresville, NC (NASCAR Capital), that he had just been told by the Cove staff that it was time for him to hire a full-time staff member, and immediately. Don had just finished telling his part-time staff members about this and they were praying about this staff need as I was literally walking in the door on them. However, I was unaware of this. I was later told that when the prayer was interrupted that Lynn, the Children’s Director, said the following. She had never met me, but she said to Susan, the Worship Leader, “he’s the one”. As they were praying, I interrupted this prayer about the need for a new Pastoral team member. Because of this, she believed I was “the one” God was leading to them. Remember, she didn’t know me. Don had no idea that I had resigned my church and he just said to me, this isn’t an “accident that you came by.” After we talked awhile, I left. He told the ladies on his staff what had happened and they said,

“if that isn’t a God thing we don’t know what is.”

After a lot of prayer and many meetings, Don has asked me to join their “team” and believes I’m another creative person that the North Point team needs. Our family has visited anonymously for 6 weeks now. North Point is very unique in that the vision is to be a “simple ministry,” focusing on God’s grace, genuine relationships, relevant life changing/applicable messages, discipleship, life groups, people and their need to know of the “freedom” they have, and can have in Christ, and real community missions. They are not about “programs or religion.” Our 13+ year old son loves it and our 9 year old daughter does too. They wanted me to say yes from the beginning. Jacob, my son, says he sees a lot of potential, that the church is growing and knows it’s going to keep growing. He said, “everything is not in place already and I can be apart of helping it grow.” What more confirmation do we need than that? Our prayers have been that we could minister together as a family in a different way and that our children would see God work in an amazing way.

Cassandra needed more time. But as we have visited and met with Don, his wife and his part-time staff, we both realize that partnering with North Point is why we are still here. I don’t think I would have been a part of North Point had they called me from another state. Had someone told me to move to Charlotte and raise some of my financial support, I would have said no way! But God is really stretching us and teaching us to abide and rest in Him, and revealing himself in ways that we’ve had absolutely nothing to do with!

This church is different and Don says he makes no apologies for it. We are very thankful for the vision God has put before Don. This vision is to be a “GRACE-Filled” church. Cassandra and I went through a Grace Life International Discipleship conference this past weekend. This is to help prepare us for the mission before us. It uses Hudson Taylors “Exchanged Life” process. This has been very sobering and liberating at the same time. God so reminded us that we are not, and do not have to be bound by the law of “religion.” We have “freedom in Christ” as believers. He lives in us and we only need to abide (rest) in Him, and allow Him to live “through” us daily in every area of our life. The power is already in us and it is Him!

North Point is not quite 1 1/2 years old. They are averaging about 150. They are reaching people in an amazing way.  We have been able to sit by quietly for 6 weeks and watch God truly at work! We are excited that God desires for us to be a part of His work here. They are financially stable but didn’t plan on a Full-Time Associate when they made their budget last year. So, I will need to raise about $3000 a month until next December. They will be able to take care of the remainder. Our prayer is that the church will be able to support the entire team by next January.

I know God will direct my path but I’m not looking forward to raising support again. I raised $200K to start the Bridge Church a few years back. I love what North Point is doing and can see so much that God can use me in. Plus, my family is weary of moving. Don would like for us to stay in our home because our sub-division is one that is near the church and one of many who need relationships with Christ. We must be obedient to God’s moving and our adjustment is asking for help.

What we need from you more than anything is PRAYER! However, we also know we have to live. Like I said in our earlier post, we need to raise about $30,000 or $3000 a month. We know God is faithful, has led us to North Point, and we are confident that by January 2009 we will be self-supporting.

I have been fortunate to have about 500-600 people who read my blog everyday. If just half of you who read would feel led to give $10 a month for 10 months, we would meet our need. Some of you may feel led to give even more and we would be grateful. We have seen God do amazing things in our life and at North Point in the last 2 months . In fact today, a major church office need was met in a way I can’t even begin to explain. If God leads you to partner with us, our mission will officially begin March, 2008. All donations will be tax deductible. If you write a check, make it out to the church below and put “THE BUSSEY’S” on what your gift is for. It can be mailed to the address below:

North Point Community Church
P.O. Box 680877
Charlotte, NC 28216

Phone: 704-533-0223
E-mail: don.mccollum@northpointcharlotte.org

www.northpointcharlotte.org

Again, thank you to all who have prayed, encouraged, and contacted us while we “waited” on God’s leading for our family. Continue to pray for us and we will continue to update you on how God is working!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS