Missio Dei Church Family,

I am still kind of in shock, but I think we can officially say, "Happy 10th Anniversary!" This weekend, nearly 10 years ago, after fifteen months of learning together and training, we started Missio Dei Church.

It’s been quite a journey, hasnt it?

Hundreds of hundreds of hours of talking and dreaming, praying and longing, planning, failing, and getting up again were put into the early days of Missio Dei Church. When we first started we were figuring out what a church on mission in everyday life looks like. There were some epic failures. There were times where it felt like we took five solid steps forward only to take a good six or seven backwards. There are times where it still seems like we’re still trying to figuring this thing call church out. 

It hasn't been easy, has it? You have suffered though some poor leadership by me. You have even suffered through some pretty bad preaching as I learned (and I am still learning) how to be effective as a minister of the Gospel. You have been spent, recycled, and respent.  We experienced and walked through staff changes, the recession, relational losses, death, changes in philosophy, and even denominations. 

Through conversations, I know many of you have become weary on this journey, however, I want you to know how your faithfulness to Christ has planted seeds in children, teens, adults, marriages, and work places which are now bearing beautiful fruit! Your generosity has been a blessing in Roseland, Jos, Nigeria, and now Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Through benevolence you have blessed local families in powerful ways. You are serving the Lord and making disciples. God is at work! Go, make disciples, and teach them to obey. And if you do, I trust you will find a harvest of righteousness that will grow beyond your wildest dreams.

God, in his kindness, periodically gives us glimpses of what he is doing in our midst. It took nearly a decade, but we see the mustard seed growing. A vibrant sprout is bursting forth from the gospel-rich ground that we call Missio Dei Church. God has produced in us a degree of love and unity, peace and joy that many churches dream for and I could only have dreamed of years ago. There are moments when he gives a sense of just how big that mustard plant is going to get. I’m thankful for that. We are still learning and growing and stumbling, but we are stumbling forward for our King and His mission. 

Join us in celebrating Jesus’ amazing grace given to and displayed through a very needy and broken group of people. This wasn't anything that we achieved. Jesus did this! This weekend as we gather for the Legacy event, it really isn’t our anniversary we are celebrating. Sure, we have been laboring together for ten years, but what we are really celebrating is His love, grace and power displayed through us. Why would He even choose to do this in us? Grace. Ten years of grace! That is what we are celebrating.

And Jesus… would you give us many more years to serve you and see your fame go to the ends of the earth through the ministry of Missio Dei Church? We know we are absolutely undeserving, but we are willing to continue to be your hands and feet throughout the earth.

Missio Dei Church, friends and family, join us in giving thanks to our King, our Savior and Lord, for His grace and faithfulness to us. Jesus you are our head and we are your body. Ten years with you and for you Jesus!  Thank you family! Thank you Jesus!!!

Friends, you are loved,