Good News from Clearfield, UT

I flew to Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday, Feb 7th, to attend the installation service for the new pastor at the Clearfield Community Church (20 miles north of downtown SLC). Their new pastor is Rev. John Parsley. Yahoo! God really does answer the prayers of His people. I had been praying, along with the search committee and congregation, for a long time for God to send someone really special to serve there.

John started in Clearfield in November '08. He came from Plainfield, Indiana, where he had been pastor at FBC for 21 years. He and his wife, Susie, first met when they were students at Butler U. They have lived their entire life in Indiana. In the course of John's tenure the church grew from about 110 to over 300 in worship. Many found Christ through the church's outreach efforts. In 2000 they completed a 2.4 million dollar expansion to their facilities. John & Susie's adult kids live in Indiana, and so do John's dad and Susie's mom. For the time being Susie continues to live in Plainfield until the house is sold and she can join John in Clearfield. Please pray that in spite of the discouraging housing market that their house will sell.

I'm telling you this in part so you will be introduced to John & Susie. Also, I would ask you to pray for the Clearfield Church as it transitions into this new and exciting chapter of its ministry. The church is growing. Eight people joined on Sunday morning. One gave her life to Christ for the first time. Praise God! What a great set-up for an installation celebration.

John's decision to accept the call to become the pastor at C.C.C. is definitely a God thing. According to the world's values it makes no sense. The secularist would call this "downward mobility." But John and Susie, like all serious disciples of Jesus, understand that when He leads, they are to follow, even if it is flies in the face of the world's value system. Their servant hearts and commitment to Christ are an inspiration to me.

This is what leadership in the Kingdom of God is about. It's first about giving over our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It's being willing to go wherever He sends us. To trust that He will never abandon us, even as we sail uncharted seas. It requires uncommon courage. Big faith. And usually calls for great sacrifice. Such are the leaders who lead churches into mission with Jesus Christ.

"...and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: 'Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic'...So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere." Luke 9:2-3,6 (NIV)