Followers Of The Call - Area 10 Project

When heading off to begin college, one of the most important things to think about is who you are going to room with. Many people choose their roommate in advance. They may choose a friend from High School. They may choose another acquaintance that they had met somewhere along the way through activities they had been involved in through their teen years.

Other brave souls, like myself, allow the institution they are attending to choose their roommate for them. I am not sure what goes on behind the scenes when people are getting matched up (my guess is that it is pretty random), but supposedly there was some method to the madness when it came time for me to go to Cincinnati Christian University in 1994. At least I like to think that I didn't fill out that questionnaire about all my likes and dislikes for no reason.

The bottom line is that my college actually did a good job in my case. I know that this doesn't happen all the time, but I was given a great roommate who has become a life-long friend.

Chris Barras is a guy who I believe is truly following God in an awesome way. He and his wife, Abby, are doing an amazing work called the Area 10 Project in Richmond, Virginia. You can read more about this project by clicking the link on the right.

One thing that I noticed about Chris as soon as I met him was how talented he was. I was blown away by his musicianship. In fact, I had been playing guitar for a little over a year when I got to college. I was excited that I was going to room with a fellow guitar player. When I finally heard him play, though, I was actually quite discouraged. This guy was the same age as me and yet he was so far ahead of me with how well he played. For example, my best song and pretty much only song was "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", while Chris could rock out on just about any song you requested, including "Everything I Do, I Do It For You", which drove the ladies crazy. I was so jealous.

Since college, Chris has continued to grow musically. He sings, he plays guitar, he plays piano, and he probably does a bunch of other stuff that I don't know about. He has even written and recorded many songs.

His talent is not just limited to his music. Chris has always been a strong leader. He is also very creative and he is a great visionary. Once again, these qualities are so evident in him that I often get jealous (wow - I think have jealousy issues).

Anyway...I believe all these qualities, combined with Abby's gifts which are also amazing, have lead Chris and Abby to where they are today. They are doing a very important, and very unique, work in Richmond. I love what Chris has written in his blog about living in the city. I love his heart for the city. I love his willingness to follow God's call into a part of the world that many of us would never choose to go. There are so many pockets of our culture that we ignore for one reason or another. Maybe we write them off as hopeless. Maybe we can't believe that we would ever fit in there. Maybe we don't believe that God would ever want us to leave what is comfortable and "successful."

Chris and Abby not only heard God's call, but they also listened and followed. Right now they are raising support for their ministry. Right now they are raising awareness of the need. Right now they are creatively casting a vision for the ministry that God has placed before them.

I hope that the way Chris and Abby follow God's call is inspiring to you. It inspires me. God calls each of us in a different way. I realize that not all of us will be called to plant a church in Miami, FL like Matt and Janie. Not all of us will be asked to start a new ministry in downtown Richmond, VA like Chris and Abby. What is inspiring about Matt, Janie, Chris, and Abby isn't just that they are involved in exciting and challenging ministries, but what's inspiring is that they LISTENED to God. I pray that all of us will listen to God when He calls - no matter what.

Please pray for the Area 10 Project.

Followers Of The Call - The Pursuit

I would like to start a new series of posts. These posts will highlight people who I believe have followed God's call outside the camp.

I am going to dedicate this first post to my friends, Matt and Janie Mehaffey. You can read about their entire journey (so far) of following their call by clicking on The Pursuit link on the right. But, for right now, I just want to mention some of my observations.

I met Matt during freshman orientation at Cincinnati Christian University (back then it was Cincinnati Bible College) in the fall of 1994. We instantly became friends and have remained close ever since. Matt and I both served as interns at large churches in Indianapolis following our college careers. It was a blast to be done with school, but still working and living in the same city as Matt.

But, as our internships came to an end, our paths finally split. The church Matt was working for decided to keep him on staff (which I believe says something about the kind of guy Matt is). The church I was working for, on the other hand, didn't give me that option (which I believe means absolutely nothing, so don't try to read into it). So, I moved to Virginia to serve at a church, and Matt stayed in Indy.

Matt is from Indiana, and I believed that he would always be a resident of the Midwest. I didn't blame him. I, too, am from the Midwest and I couldn't wait to move back someday. But, God had other plans for Matt. Not only did God lead Matt to a wonderful wife, Janie, but He also put a call on his life to go outside the camp.

I remember when Matt first started talking about planting a church in Miami, FL. It was exciting to hear about, but I really couldn't believe it. I know Matt himself would admit that transplanting this Indiana kid into such a diverse city seems crazy. But, God was calling Matt and Janie to something VERY important. The city of Miami has a tremendous amount of need and God is preparing Matt and Janie and the rest of the staff of The Pursuit to meet those needs.

I am just so impressed that Matt and Janie listened! It would have been a lot easier to stay inside the camp. When you start to understand the needs, culture, and process of planting a church in Miami you begin to realize that a ton of sacrifice and suffering is involved. In fact, as I write this, some big challenges have come up in reference to the location of The Pursuit when it launches in January. Matt and Janie could have easily decided to stay within their borders, but they didn't. They followed God outside the camp so that others can come to know Jesus Christ.

Please pray for The Pursuit.