Ten Years!
 

Today we celebrated ten years of pastoring in Jackson, TN. We started in 2001 with one committed family besides ours. We met in the Holiday Inn for one year, in a strip mall for one year, and then on our present property in our first building there. We moved in our new building in March 2010. It doesn't seem possible that we've been here ten years! God has been SO good to us.

I was reading yesterday in Proverbs where we can make our plans, but God directs our steps. My plans eleven years ago would not have included planting a new church in Jackson, TN! I was settled and comfortable in the place that we had pastored for almost two decades. I thought we would be there for the rest of our lives. God doesn't like people to get "comfortable". He picked us up and put us here, and the rest is history. Now I'm so happy and fulfilled like never before, but the transition was emotionally difficult back then. I didn't think I could ever love any other people like I loved those that we had pastored for all those years.

I'm thankful that this house has let me stretch my wings and find my destiny. I always loved pastoring but felt a little unfulfilled, like I hadn't found my niche. I had taught, cleaned the church, done the books for years, led the choir, led worship, and anything else that needed doing, but never felt complete. When I came to Jackson, I started doing missions, and I'm more content today than ever. I guess I had to wait until my kids were grown, but this church has been so accommodating in letting me go to the nations. They have a huge vision, and for that, I'm so thrilled.

Ok, so I'm done bragging on my people. But they deserve a big THANK YOU, because they're awesome. And God deserves all th glory.

Re: Ten Years!
 

congratulations sherri. your testimony is uplifting. I especially like the part where you said that you found fulfilment in missions. I feel the same.

Re: Ten Years!
 

Thank you for sharing Sherri! This is an encouraging post. We pray that you will have many more years of fruitful ministry in Jackson and around the world!

Re: Ten Years!
 

Awesome, Sherri. A servant's heart leads to contentment.

Re: Ten Years!
 

I would have never driven to Jacson if it wasn't for your church there.

Neither would I have met you, your husband and all the other WONDERFUL "Love and Truth" and AFF people I met on that trip.


Congratulations to you, your husband and your church for reaching this milestone!

Re: Ten Years!
 

Thanks, everyone! It was a blessed and exciting day for us. Attendance yesterday - 1387.

Re: Ten Years!
 

Sherri,

Don't want to be (too) nosy, so feel free to answer as little as you want. I'm curious - did you have any financial backing or sponsoring when you started this church?

Re: Ten Years!
 

Congrats! You all deserve the good stuff coming your way and that city deserves another great church ran by great people.

Re: Ten Years!
 

We were pastoring in another town for nearly 20 years when we started this one. We pastored both for three years, so we were able to be paid by the original church. This one was actually started as a daughter work of the mother church. Since that time (LONG story), we have separated from the mother church and they are independent and Jackson is now the "mother church" of Love and Truth Ministries. That's the condensed version.:thumbsup

Re: Ten Years!
 

Congratulations Sherri,
It's exciting to see how you, your husband's, and your member's hard work and sacrifice have paid off.