Destination: Raleigh, NC - Packing Our Bags!

Steve and I met at Journey Community Church in La Mesa, CA in 1998. Back then Steve was on staff at Journey as a facilities team member. He also volunteered as the worship leader for Journey’s high school ministry. After a few years of volunteering as a worship leader for high school and middle school, Steve was offered a part time position at Journey leading worship for a new Friday Night Service and then also for Journey’s video venue. After serving a number of years in ministry together, we were married in 2003. Since then, both Steve and I have been heavily involved in the creative process for the Weekend Services at Journey. We both have found a passion for developing creative services around thematic message series’, and finding creative ways to connect people to God.

As our passion has grown for God, so has the importance of the calling on Steve’s life to become a full time worship leader. About two years ago, we began to earnestly seek God for such a position, whether at Journey or elsewhere. In those two years, opportunities arose but never with any solid confirmation. While on the search, Steve started picking up different side jobs to supplement income as he maintained his part time role at Journey.

In July 2007, we received a phone call from Pastor Lee Towns in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lee is a familiar face here at Journey and speaks at our July at Journey series almost every year. He told us about a calling he had to start Church at the Triangle. He shared with us his vision and dream for the church and asked us to pray about a possible partnership. After a month of praying, emails, and phone conversations, we decided to visit the community. There we were able to share in Lee’s vision a little closer. We met Lee’s awesome family, and were very intrigued by the pace of life and the surroundings in Raleigh. As we left Raleigh, We decided to lift this opportunity up in prayer and ask God for guidance as we went forward. After a few more long distance emails and phone calls, we started having nothing but confirmation in our hearts that God was indeed moving this opportunity forward.

So…long story short…
On January 2nd, 2008, we will start our 2,545 mile drive across the country to relocate our family to Raleigh, North Carolina to pursue Steve’s calling as a full time worship leader. I can’t tell you how excited we are to start working with the Towns family and the community that will become “Church at the Triangle”. This is a definite life marking moment in our lives filled with all the anxiousness, excitement, and even sadness that comes with change. We’ll definitely miss seeing our extended family and friends. We’ll also obviously miss Journey Community Church. I can honestly say that Journey has played a huge part of who Steve and I have become as people and as a family. We’d really appreciate your prayer as we, by faith, trust God for a smooth transition to Raleigh.

This is obviously, the first of many posts dedicated to our move. So check back frequently for updates!