Those words stopped me in my tracks on a prayer walk. There have been few moments in my life when I have heard God's voice so thunderously and directly. My heart jumped as I pondered what God might be up to.
Hearing the voice of God appears to be one of the most powerful realities of Christian spirituality. How potent and life-altering is the ability to hear and discern the voice of God? Think of how enlivened we become by learning to discern the still, small voice, the gentle whisper of the Good Shepherd. But how often do we miss it?
The scriptures show that God's voice is often a whisper. And a whisper, my friends, is not only hard to hear but also easy to overlook. What if God is speaking to you more frequently than you realize? We often miss His presence, not because He's too extraordinary, but because He is so ordinary, meeting each of us in the everyday rhythms of our lives. Despite the consistency of this message in scripture, we still seek God in the dramatic scenes of a thriller rather than in the everyday whisper of His voice.
I discovered that his loud and booming voice, which proclaimed that 'change is coming' and urged me to be obedient to His leading, was a call for us to step out in faith and assume the leadership role of our new Abbotsford Campus. However, a simple nudge to go and pray led me to that experience with the Spirit. I had work to do. My desk was full of tasks, meetings, and to-do lists, but in a moment, I felt the whisper of His still, small voice inviting me to get away with Him and pray. Thus began a faith-filled adventure to follow God into a new season.
I could share more, but that leads me to today.
We had our first Vision Gathering for our new Abbotsford Campus several weeks ago. Abbotsford is the hub of the Fraser Valley, a growing city that seeks to see flourishing. With a vision to continue to grow and cultivate a vibrant city, Abbotsford is in the process of significant development and community plans. Some of those plans include expanding and developing East Abbotsford. This long-term plan would allow for the development of a new central hub in that area. They're planning to build up to 10,000 new homes and project a growth of 30,000 people in the area.
Our vision is to share the message of Jesus with East Abbotsford through mission-driven living, shared around the relevancy of the table, with a resolve for true, authentic discipleship in partnership with God towards real human flourishing, which is our promise in Revelation 21, the renewal of all things.
My dream is that if we could simply catch a glimpse of what it means to follow Jesus and join God in transformation, our lives and the city of Abbotsford would be truly transformed from the inside out. We'd see a glimpse on earth, in Abbotsford, as it is in heaven.
If you sense a gentle whisper nudging you towards helping us launch this campus, I urge you to explore that. Spend time in prayer, seeking what might be on the other side of that subtle nudge. That's all I did. And I've been so invigorated in my Spirit by the path that following that gentle voice has led me.
Our goal is to launch the new Abbotsford Campus with a dedicated Launch Team of 60-70 people. These individuals will be the culture carriers, leading the way in attending and serving at Sunday gatherings, giving, and being connected in a Life Group. We ask for a commitment of at least one year, during which you will be part of a transformative journey, both for yourself and for the community.
Our Launch Team will be the pioneers of living the vision of joining God in transforming lives in Abbotsford!
If you're interested in being a part of our journey, we'd like to invite you to our next Vision Gathering on Sunday, May 5th, at 6:30 p.m. The gathering will be held in the East Hall at CLA Langley. We'll spend time in worship and discuss our vision and what it actually means to "Join God in transformation."
