Month: September 2016

I would like to introduce you to Denise.

Can you find her? She is the lovely lady on the left with that look in her eye that just says, “Yep. I’ve got this.” Which, she always does.

I could begin this by describing Denise as a super mom, wife to Ashley, amazing photographer, and all around amazing woman of God.

Or, I could share how she is selfless beyond measure, giving of her time and talent in innumerable ways.

Or, I could get to the point and call her a visionary who is following God’s plan for her life.

Yes. That’s more like it.

With her thoughts drifting back 3 years ago, Denise can remember the exact moment when she knew that her future would be about The Well. At the time, it wasn’t The Well, but it was a general directive to create a summer camp and retreat in SE Minnesota. Drawing from experiences attending camps at the Good Earth Village camp, she began meeting with their director. After a series of conversations and some redirection, she began to realize it wasn’t about the place, but rather the idea.

Since that vision, she has slowly been taking the steps to make The Well a reality. Knowing that this needed to be done in God’s time, she has internalized the vision, waiting for His direction on who to involve, designing a mission and vision for The Well, and slowly preparing for the next steps.

Denise shared that the hearts of her husband and children are ready for a potentially life-changing transition from the comforts of their home and daily activities such as baseball and basketball practices to the mission field that will be The Well. It has often struck me how our picture of the “mission field” is typically an impoverished nation without access to resources. Denise’s mission field will be right here in SE Minnesota., serving those who need a space to grow in their faith  and be “filled with the Living Water of Jesus Christ.”

Right now, The Well is a brand new, non-profit organization. Denise has a vision in her mind of the property that will become The Well. As the team has moved forward, she is praying that God’s plan is revealed in His time, knowing that He has already selected the exact location. Denise’s faith in God’s timing is carrying her through the murkiness and unknown. This is perhaps the thing I love about Denise the most. While she consistently serves in a way that gives you no doubt that she loves Jesus and loves all, her faith in times of uncertainty has been unwavering. She noted that in those moments where seeds of doubt crept in, God would place a verse or a song on her heart that would remind her that He is carrying her through the challenges, equipping her with all she needs at the right moments.

How can we help?

There are a few ways we can be supportive of Denise and The Well’s leadership team:

• Pray for God’s will and provision as they keep making the next step towards making the vision a reality.
• Connect with Denise via social media or in person to show support. “Like” The Well’s Facebook page here to keep up with their progress and any fundraising events.
• Support financially, if you feel called to do so. T-Shirts are available and fundraising events will be coming up in the near future.
• Again, pray. This is perhaps the best way to support Denise and The Well.

If you know me, you know that I am a fan of Jen Hatmaker’s writing. In the last two years, I have read Interrupted, Seven, and her latest, For The Love. It was that last book that created a chain reaction of new opportunities and adventures with ladies across the country. I have found friends that are fierce women of God that I would never have met if it wasn’t for a rejection letter for Jen’s launch team and a hashtag that started a rogue tribe with a passion for books, lifting each other up, and worshiping the Lord.

As Jen’s book launched, her husband Brandon watched as this group of rejected women supported and launched the book anyway. He saw the commitment and community that was formed. And he saw an opportunity. You see, he had a book in the works. He approached the group with a proposition. As a result, this group of rejectees were asked to be a part of his launch team. Which is how I ended up with an Advanced Reader Copy of Brandon Hatmaker’s new book, A Mile Wide: Trading a Shallow Religion for a Deeper Faith.

Brandon is a pastor at the Austin New Church and the founder of the Legacy Collective, which is a “Giving Community focused on partnering, pioneering, and funding sustainable solutions to systemic social issues.” His previous book, Barefoot Church, emphasizes service to the least, calling today’s church to social renewal and service as Jesus’ command for Christianity.

 

His new book, A Mile Wide, hit my mailbox at just the right time. Using the Platte River as a metaphor for faith, Hatmaker delves into the murky waters (see what I did there) of transitioning from a wide and shallow practice of religion to a faith that runs deeper. Divided into two parts, the book explores how the Gospel is in us and how it is served through us. This book’s timing was good because I was starting to feel spread thin. So thin that I wasn’t really sure of my relationship with God. I began to feel disconnected. I recognized that I was beginning to resemble the Platte River.

One chapter in particular focuses on community, which I am discovering is more and more important to me. Brandon writes of finding a “community groove,” recalling how they sought out the “perfect” church or “perfect” bible study. But communities are full of broken people looking for the same thing. As a result, they are perfectly imperfect. And they serve as a “perfect” place to practice discipleship and personal growth, which leads to the depth we desire in our faith.

“In order to exchange a shallow religion for a deeper faith,

we need to return to the beautiful journey

of searching for the heart of God,

of seeing through His eyes.”

– Brandon Hatmaker

A Mile Wide is currently available for pre-order through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and officially launches on Sept. 13th.