A new season

Well, this update has been long overdue.

There has been some significant changes for the Greenwoods.  At the beginning of July, Chris and I both felt like our time at Reston Presbyterian Church was coming to an end. So we started making plans for him to let the session of our church know.  We both felt like we were a little crazy to walk away from a paying job to move in with his dad and step-mom, but we also wanted to be obedient in what the Lord was leading us to do.  So at the end of August, the kids and I headed to NC and started our moving in process.  A few days later, Chris joined us with all of our earthly possessions in a U-haul.

Since finding out in March that we were not chosen to be the Senior Pastor at RPC, Chris has been applying to church after church after church.  Most of them have been for associate pastor positions.  Over and over again, we have heard, "We really want to say yes to you, but for some reason we feel like the Lord is wanting us to tell you no."  "We feel like the Lord is going to use you in big ways."  After going on many interviews and being told the same thing, I was beginning to feel like maybe the Lord may be leading Chris to be a senior/solo pastor.  I sat on this info. for awhile because in the past I have asked Chris about it and his response has  been that he never has had the desire to be a senior/solo pastor.  While we were on an interview in SC for an associate pastor position, the senior pastor there asked Chris, "Why aren't you applying for senior pastor postions?"  He went on to explain that he had glanced through his resume and PIF and shared that what he saw made him feel like Chris should be applying for senior pastor positions.  So on the way home, I took the opportunity to ask Chris what he thought about that part of the conversation and to share what the Lord had been saying to me about him becoming a senior pastor.  He took some time to pray about it and eventually shared that he felt like the Lord was wanting him to change his job search...no longer applying for associate pastor positions, but to now apply for senior/solo pastor positions. 

God has truly blessed us in this step of faith.  Chris knew he would need to apply for a part time job to help with finances.  It is hard doing that while we were still in VA.  Little did we know that God had a plan already for us.  Some of our good friends have recently moved back to Goldsboro, NC and started an EPC church.  Cornerstone was wanting to focus on getting their youth ministry up and started.  So late one night, we got an email from our friend saying that he wanted to talk to Chris the next morning about possibly working part-time for the church.  Chris and Ryan talked the next day, and we felt so blessed that Cornerstone wanted to help the Greenwoods during this season of waiting on the Lord. We are excited to be able to do ministry with the Rasmussens during this see and being a part of what God is doing here in Goldsboro. 

We have been asked very often, "How long are you going to be in Goldsboro?"  The answer is, "We have no idea."  We are living in this moment.  We are not looking ahead.  We are waiting patiently to see what God does next.  With the Greenwoods, God tends to show us one sentence at a time.  As Chris said a few weeks ago, "It would be nice to have a paragraph.  We aren't asking for God to reveal the whole book, but He has always revealed one sentence at a time to us."   So we are going to be content with this sentence right now.  Take this time to be a family.  Take this time to slow down and enjoy the simpler life.  Take this time to grown in areas that He wants us to grow in.  Take this time to just be here. 

So I ask that you pray for the Greenwoods during this season.  As we get settled into a new routine.  That the kids will continue to transition well.  As Chris continues to have interviews that God will give us the ability to discern where He wants us to be.  That we will take this time to grow and that we won't run from what He is wanting us to grow in.