Expect the Unexpected

In this week’s episode, Haley is joined by Operations Director Dave Young and Calder Marriott- our Church Planting Resident. We discuss a sermon preached by Matt Brown from Skyline Church in Denver, CO. Matt was our visiting pastor last Sunday and preached a sermon titled “Expect the Unexpected” (listen HERE), using excerpts from Acts 12&13. We used this sermon as a launching place for a subject near and dear to MVCC’s heart- church planting!

1. Matt challenged us to think about whether we’re really open-handed with our lives or holding too tightly to our own plans. From where you are now, in full-time ministry, how have you wrestled with the tension of letting go of your plans to follow God’s call? Have there been moments where God redirected you in ways you didn’t expect, but ultimately saw His goodness in it?
2. In Acts 13, we see the church praying and sending people out- Our church has a pretty strong history of sending people out to plant new churches—but how do we actually decide where to plant? Is it more about a specific person sensing a call to a place, or does our network look for certain kinds of cities, like college towns? What factors go into that process?
3. As we talk about being open to God’s leading, we know there are people in our church who might feel God stirring something new in them but are hesitant to step into the unknown. What’s one encouragement you’d offer to someone who senses that calling but isn’t sure what to do next? Similarly, what about the person who doesn’t feel the calling to go? How do they be faithful in being the one to send?
4. Calder, can you share about the vision for the Boulder, CO church plant coming in the next few years? What specific ways can our church body be praying for you and your team?

If you want to hear more about the Boulder, CO church plant, contact Calder Marriott HERE. Matt Brown is also looking to plant a church in Golden, CO so if you’re interested in hearing more about that, you can contact him HERE!