Yes, It's Official

The word is out, but for those who have not yet heard, I will be leaving FBC Poky at the end of this month. I have received and accepted a call to be the Lead Pastor at LifePoint Church in the Carson Valley of Nevada.

My friend John Jackson planted LifePoint 12 years ago, and it has thrived and grown from a handful to a vibrant congregation. He has accepted a position at Bayside Church in the Sacramento area, and a few months ago he called and asked if I would be interested in following him at LifePoint. After a long and interesting process, filled with prayer and airplanes, Beth and I felt the release of God on our ministry here and the call to a new adventure there.

I may get to post more of the story of how God made it clear to Beth and me that this was his plan, but for now, please hear me say a couple of things:

First, I was not looking for a new church. I had not pulled out my resume to look at it for 15 years, and was very content to stay in Pocatello my entire career. Some people have said there were other factors in my decision to leave, and those rumors are completely and utterly untrue. I was brokenhearted when it started to be clear that we were released here, and more so as the day came to share with my church family that I was leaving. I am only being obedient to the call of God on my life. It's all I can do.

Second, while I am excited about the future that God has unfolded in front of us, I am also excited about what God is going to do here in Pocatello. Again, I was content to stay and see God continue to build a great church here, but I am still convinced, as I said on Sunday, that the best days of this church are still in front of her. I will continue to pray and lift up the future of FBC Pocatello, knowing that the God who brought us this far will not fail us. I know that just as my friend John was prepared by God to move to Bayside to help that church move to the next level, and God has prepared me to help LifePoint move to the next level, God has been and will be preparing another pastor to come here and build on the effective and exciting ministry here.

I'll have more later, but I wanted to make sure this got out and that you heard it from me. I appreciate all the prayers, and ask that you continue to pray for LifePoint, FBC, my family and me as we all make these important transitions.