Alpha

A little over a year ago, as I was wrapping up my sabbatical and coming to the decision that it was  time for me to step out of vocational ministry, Mandy and I were having lots of conversation about what was next. This was going to be a big decision, and we wanted to make sure that we had a good place for our family to land for this next season.  We pretty quickly came to the conclusion that Christ City Church was going to be a great fit for us. We knew the leaders and resonated with the vision of the church. At the time we felt like this would be a place for us to rest, but we also wondered how we would contribute once a period of rest was up.

One morning Mandy woke up and asked what I thought about doing Alpha at Christ City. Alpha has been on the periphery of our lives since I was on staff at Hillside Church in Marin County. That church had been doing Alpha for several years at the time we were there, and though we were never a part of it, we saw the impact that it had on the church.

We thought about doing Alpha when we started Neighborhood Church but didn't feel it was the right time. Over the years we would hear about how God was using Alpha in other parts of the world, and we would wonder if it was time. It never seemed to be the case. She and I were both too maxed out to give it the proper attention and leadership it needed.  So now, as we were making the transition out of vocational ministry, we wondered if it could be the time.

We've been at Christ City for eleven months now, and after a great season of rest, we're stepping back into leadership. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to teach at Christ City. I taught on Rest and Responsibility (you can listen to it here if you'd like). It has been so good to be in a season of rest this last year, but I know that I'm not meant to sit on the sidelines too long. I'm created for responsibility. I still have such a love for the church, and after doing ministry for twenty years, it's not something that I want to completely give up. I'm just happy to be doing it on a smaller and more focused scale.

So I'm happy to share that Alpha at Christ City Church starts on September 8. For the past couple of months we've been recruiting a team, and over the next month we'll be solidifying the many details needed for the launch. I'm excited to be able to focus on one thing, and I'm excited that this is something that Mandy and I will be doing together.

I recognize that I've yet to tell you exactly what Alpha is, but rather than tell you here, I invite you to check out the Alpha page on Christ City's website.