the mountain that needs removed

I think it was Vaughn who challenged something in my email to staff, where I mentioned something about climbing the mountain. He suggested that this is a mountain that needs to be spoken to and told to be removed, not one that needs to be climbed.

Okay, Vaughn was more gentle than that as he always is, but when I read his brief sentences, that is what I heard from the Holy Spirit. I felt more than a little nudged by the Holy Spirit on a couple of things.

The first mountain we faced was the mountain of unity among churches. Only a powerful Holy Spirit could bring us 12 Pastors together, and brought us to a place of possibly wanting to work together. I am still amazed. This mountain is in retreat, but may try to reappear at some awkward moment. I hope to be ready, and have the grace to play any role I am asked to play for it to remain gone.

The second mountain might be finances. My logistics team dreams of a $50,000 budget for outreach in June 2009. This mountain still likes to try to wake me up at night and shout at me about how this cannot be done.

Another huge mountain that leers at me right now, is the mountain of raising up 15 church planters by June 1, 2009. I would like those planters to mostly come out of the other 11 foundational churches, but I have no workable plan to recruit in those churches as of now. (I do have one little idea)

And to make things even more awkward, God has given me a number of possible planters out of our church already. I'm not sure what to do with all of that, or how to handle it. For now, I am just sort of telling the mountain to mind it's own business. it will get to swim with the fishes later perhaps if the Holy Spirit reveals where to send it.