Take Courage!

Dear family & friends,

For the past four years, we have served as the High School Pastors at Park West Church in Knoxville, TN. It has been such a privilege to serve these amazing students & their families. But now, after four wonderful years together, the Lord is moving our family to a new area of ministry.

God has done some miraculous things lately, but the best is yet to come...for the High School Ministry, for our family & for our future ministry.  We have all learned so much from each other over the past four years.  Just last week we had our high school students share "their stories" of what God has done in their lives lately.  We were so inspired by the choices these students are making at such a critical age.  Tonight, Dustin shared "his story" of what God has been doing in us lately & will be doing in us in the future.  He shared about how often our stories take great courage (Matthew 14:22-27 "Jesus Walks on the Water").

Our family is stepping out of the boat to meet Jesus, so to speak, & trusting that God will take care of the rest.  We are choosing to have courage & faith to follow the Master's voice into uncharted waters.  God has been preparing our hearts for some time now to move back into adult ministry.  We do not yet know how that will look, but we know to step out.  With this type of faith there comes great uncertainty & we covet your prayers.  To be honest, there’s a little excitement here too, as we sense the Lord doing a brand new, beautiful, kind of thing in us. Truly, His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. We could have never predicted where our path has led to the present, or will lead in the future.

We will always cherish our relationships from Floodline High School Ministry, but know that the timing is right to step out & allow someone else to lead the charge.  “Thank you” just doesn't say enough to our students & their families. We love you all so much! So, we’ll echo the words of the Apostle Paul, and leave these families with this:

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Pastor Dustin & Carla Lee