The Well Palmdale, CA

The mathematician James Yorke, who is known for his work on chaotic systems (yeah...stuff that's over my head, too), said "The most successful people in life are those who are good at plan B." 

I came across this quote today and it made me think a lot about The Well.  We are going through all sorts of changes right now.  Last year at this time I know I had no idea what God was going to do with this church.  I knew that God was going to change me during this process as well as change everyone else.  I knew that it would be hard, but I was unsure as to what was going to be the hardest on me or anyone else.  To be honest...as hard as it is...I am loving this experience.  I love, as Ken calls us, my fellow Wellians.  I have seen profound spiritual growth in many of you, and I have met new people who have grown in their relationship to Christ.  I have met new people, and seen how Christ can touch the lives of people who haven't always felt comfortable in the church. 

Granted some days are hard.  Last Sunday was one of them.  I saw very few people in worship.  The people who were there are all loved ones...for sure.  This is definitely confession time for your pastor...though I have always said that numbers aren't important (they still aren't), I am still affected by it (and some say we don't have a sinful nature...whatever!). 

After some soul searching later that night, I remembered a Sunday I had at another mission church that I used to worked at.  We had launched only two months before and that particular Sunday we had 9 people in worship (that included me, Sarah, the vicar, his wife and two daughters, and the coffee shop employee).  I remembered a picture we have of me from that night.  I don't know why we were taking pictures, but we were. In that picture I have a giant smile on my face while cleaning up afterwords.  Seems odd, huh?  Right after what was a fairly deflating experience, I was grinning ear to ear.  I remembered why I was smiling.  I was moved in that service.  I felt a spark from the Holy Spirit that I needed that night. 

You see, it was that night, that things really started to change for that ministry.  That congregation had always seen themselves as a campus ministry due to their proximity (they shared a sidewalk) with a large university.  The students had gone home for the semester break just before that worship service.  That Sunday began Plan B for that church.  The leadership who was there all realized that they had a new mission in front of them.  The campus outreach was always going to be there, but they knew that God was calling them in that moment to a new mission.  To be honest I wasn't the only one smiling that night...we all were, because we knew that Christ was present that night and that He was opening a door for that ministry. At that time none of us had a clue as to what God was really doing...but now that church is going strong and they baptized 10 people last year.  They finally have a full time pastor and they have been able to reach out in a couple of nearby neighborhoods.  Just like that quote...they understood Plan B, and, that Christ is the giver of all Plan B's.  He is always there to forgive and to move us into a new life. 

I'm smiling right now...just to let you know.  I feel that Christ is moving us into another Plan B.  This last Sunday has been an eye-opener for me.  My evening afterwords was spent with someone I hadn't chatted with in quite a while, and he spoke some serious spiritual words.  He reminded me (though he may not know it) that we have been called to reach out to the lost of this valley...and we have also been called to wrangle in the sheep who have gone astray.  I feel a change coming on at The Well.  I know that there are some outside factors that may impact some things that we do, how we do them, and who does them, but what will never change is that the Holy Spirit will guide us into powerful ministry here in the A.V.   

My day off was split between exploring some new parts of L.A. with Sarah and going over and over again in my head what I have done wrong, what others have done wrong, and what needs to be fixed.  I woke up this morning thinking that it was time for some change.  Jesus is giving us a Plan B.  There will be a New Well coming out in the coming months.  It may be a rough transition, but I know that Christ is renewing us as a community...and when Christ is the one who does the renewing...it not only accesses the strength of the Almighty God, but it also comes out newly created by the hands of the creator of all that is good.  I look forward to Plan B with you.  I hope you are looking forward to Plan B with me.

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