Trailhead has had it somewhat easy compared to other church plants. I mean, (completely through the favor of God), we have been able to have these financial resources to buy amazing equipment and provide amazing marketing and outreach before we even had one seat filled! So sure enough, we were extremely excited to get this thing underway. What started in a meeting some time ago was now manifesting from vision to reality. I mean, we knew we were going to grow into a mega church within the first month. I mean, it only makes sense that since we have been blessed with so much, that we would have at least 5000 people the first service! Right?
Not quite. Now, I would first like to say that at Trailhead, we have been blessed with some awesome people coming into our doors. We have been so thankful for the smiling faces and amazing personalities that we have been able to worship and become friends with, but we haven't exactly broke the 5000 mark yet. One service we had about 30 people (granted, about 20 of them were people visiting from the West Virginia), one service we had 12, one service we had 20, and one service we had about 7. One thing that I can say about this is that regardless if you have 5000 or 5 people there, the exact same God of the 5000 is there with the 5 and He has showed up every Sunday to meet with us in amazing ways. I can honestly say that I have yet to have had any disappointment in any service (except of course, I didn't get to feed any babies yesterday and that's just too adorable), but we know that God does have bigger plans for us in terms of growth.
Not quite. Now, I would first like to say that at Trailhead, we have been blessed with some awesome people coming into our doors. We have been so thankful for the smiling faces and amazing personalities that we have been able to worship and become friends with, but we haven't exactly broke the 5000 mark yet. One service we had about 30 people (granted, about 20 of them were people visiting from the West Virginia), one service we had 12, one service we had 20, and one service we had about 7. One thing that I can say about this is that regardless if you have 5000 or 5 people there, the exact same God of the 5000 is there with the 5 and He has showed up every Sunday to meet with us in amazing ways. I can honestly say that I have yet to have had any disappointment in any service (except of course, I didn't get to feed any babies yesterday and that's just too adorable), but we know that God does have bigger plans for us in terms of growth.
Let's get one thing straight, numbers are important! It's true! I know it may not seem to be the most humble thing in the word to say but seeking to have a high number is important in ministry. Not so you can have have a high number for the sake of having a high number, but because you have a high number of people coming to Christ and/or growing into a deeper relationship with God and I think we can all agree that having 1000 people on fire for God is better than 10.
So (to get to the point), I w
as thinking yesterday while I was having a bit of prayer time before service started and I got to thinking about Forrest Gump. I know, I'm sure others on staff were probably thinking of something deeper and more spiritual than that, but for some reason my mind went to Forrest.
as thinking yesterday while I was having a bit of prayer time before service started and I got to thinking about Forrest Gump. I know, I'm sure others on staff were probably thinking of something deeper and more spiritual than that, but for some reason my mind went to Forrest.Unless you are Hillary Chaney, I'm sure you've seen this movie. Well anyway, you probably remember when Forrest became a shrimp boat captain to honor his friend, Bubba and Lieutenant Dan came out to be his first mate. Well, they had the shrimp boat, they had the crew, and they had the sea...therefore, they should immediately be set for life! Just throw over the nets and wait for the shrimp! Not exactly......
One time they would have about three, another time they would have five, then they had a toilet seat, then an army helmet, and this trend continued. Needless to say, they weren't exactly pulling in major amounts of shrimp. Forrest then gets the notion that they should pray and the next scene cuts to Forrest singing in a choir at a small African-American church with Lieutenant Dan drinking from his flask in the back. Then, the movie cuts back to the boat where they pull up......nothing, and Lieutenant Dan says to Forrest "Where is this God of yours?" and Forrest replies with the famous narrative, "It's funny that he said that, because right then, God showed up."
Well, the crew of "The Jenny" was caught in this hurricane. The hurricane was so bad that the only shrimp boat that survived ended up being "The Jenny." Cut to the next scene and Forrest and Lieutenant Dan are pulling up massive nets filled to the top with shrimp and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Corporation would go onto being a multi-million dollar corporation.
Though, we often hear the stories of churches starting out massive, seldom do big things start off that huge. I've heard of mega churches having 1000 their first service and I've heard of mega churches now starting off as a bible study a couple of years prior to launch. Like the crew of "The Jenny," many times we start off with the 5, 7, 20, or the toilet seats, but does that mean that that is the destiny for the future? No way! That just means, that we are starting. That just means it's the beginning and we continue to seek God no matter the size of the church. Then the storm comes. Now the storm can be anything and it can happen in a moment or over a period time. It can be the rain of revival (that's the fun one), it can be a time where the only thing you can do is trust in God to survive (like being caught in a hurricane), or it can be a difficult time where anything preventing you from true growth is destroyed, whether it be ignorance, lack of faith, or your own personal spiritual immaturity (the other shrimp boats). Paul wrote in Romans to rejoice in your sufferings because in your sufferings, in your struggles, and in the time where all you can do is trust, you grow spiritually and you develop the trust and Godly characteristics needed to take yourself, your vision, or that goal to a much higher level. In a way, you are growing up depending on how you respond to the tough times. We're never destined for just a beginning. There's so much more destined for us in our lives and in the life of Trailhead Church, than a few shrimp in the nets. Sometimes you need to have those nets that are filled with only a few shrimp (or even sometimes the toilet seats) to fully appreciate the full nets that are destined to come after the storm and sometimes you need that storm to get you ready for those nets.
I thank God all the time for the people that have came to the church and not only have came but want to be involved. It kinda weirds me out to think about how some of the people walking through those doors of the Ramada Inn may be on staff one day or be elders, deacons, children's church workers, youth leaders, or start their own ministry in the church. I thank God for the small nets and I thank God for every storm regardless of the form it comes in, because that simply preps me and my spirit for the full nets about to come, and we do the same at Trailhead Church because we know that we are being prepped for something much bigger than a beginning.
Though, we often hear the stories of churches starting out massive, seldom do big things start off that huge. I've heard of mega churches having 1000 their first service and I've heard of mega churches now starting off as a bible study a couple of years prior to launch. Like the crew of "The Jenny," many times we start off with the 5, 7, 20, or the toilet seats, but does that mean that that is the destiny for the future? No way! That just means, that we are starting. That just means it's the beginning and we continue to seek God no matter the size of the church. Then the storm comes. Now the storm can be anything and it can happen in a moment or over a period time. It can be the rain of revival (that's the fun one), it can be a time where the only thing you can do is trust in God to survive (like being caught in a hurricane), or it can be a difficult time where anything preventing you from true growth is destroyed, whether it be ignorance, lack of faith, or your own personal spiritual immaturity (the other shrimp boats). Paul wrote in Romans to rejoice in your sufferings because in your sufferings, in your struggles, and in the time where all you can do is trust, you grow spiritually and you develop the trust and Godly characteristics needed to take yourself, your vision, or that goal to a much higher level. In a way, you are growing up depending on how you respond to the tough times. We're never destined for just a beginning. There's so much more destined for us in our lives and in the life of Trailhead Church, than a few shrimp in the nets. Sometimes you need to have those nets that are filled with only a few shrimp (or even sometimes the toilet seats) to fully appreciate the full nets that are destined to come after the storm and sometimes you need that storm to get you ready for those nets.
I thank God all the time for the people that have came to the church and not only have came but want to be involved. It kinda weirds me out to think about how some of the people walking through those doors of the Ramada Inn may be on staff one day or be elders, deacons, children's church workers, youth leaders, or start their own ministry in the church. I thank God for the small nets and I thank God for every storm regardless of the form it comes in, because that simply preps me and my spirit for the full nets about to come, and we do the same at Trailhead Church because we know that we are being prepped for something much bigger than a beginning.
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