Morgan Journey

New Site

2008-09-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Morgan Journey has moved! Please click HERE to visit the new site

Thoughts on the Journey

2008-08-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Bella started school this week. At some level sending Bella to school is unrelated to our journey to Ireland, yet at another level the reality is before us that all of our kids will be going to school in Ireland. The need to transition them toward that change is real, but not pressing. It’s in the back of our minds.

We are slowly beginning the support raising adventure. I’ve often heard that a big part of any endeavor is stepping out the door and getting started. It’s been hard to get started. Life gets in the way. I’m slowly recovering from knee surgery. I’m getting around well now. Laura has been swamped with birthday parties, kid’s trips, the CRCS newsletter et al.

My work at the church is good, although I have divided passions. I know that God has called us leave, just not yet. I long for us and our church family to continue to encounter the God that has grabbed our family and shaken us. I see Him at CPC. He is at work here, grabbing folks.

The journey continues. Please pray that our family and our church will continue to experience the ongoing conversion that is needed to see the world with God’s eyes and continue to pursue His mission.

Putting things in perspective

2008-07-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Population of the Republic of Ireland: 4,000,000

Those confessing to be born again: 30,000

Population of Alabama (2006): 4,500,000

“born again” Christians 3,015,000

*According to Barna “The statewide data showed that Alabama earned the top ranking for the percentage of residents who are born again: 67%

Where we going?

2008-07-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to move toward a dangerous place. But isn’t the journey of faith a journey toward dangerous places? If there’s one thing that has resonated in my life lately, it is that the Gospel is a person, a message propelling us toward dangerous, risky places. The surety of the love of God for us flows out of us. It goes somewhere and that somewhere is often very risky.

What are dangerous places? Relationships with those different than us, time given to the unlovely or unlovable, honesty, confrontation, sacrifice. Dangerous places are places where our skills, competencies, and talents are suspect. Dangerous places require God to show up. Supernatural power is needed.

Going toward Ireland is dangerous. Raising support is dangerous. Loving my wife is dangerous, confessing my sin is dangerous, giving up my self-worship is dangerous, being a friend is dangerous, praying is dangerous…sometimes breathing is dangerous.

But, there is really good news in dangerous places. If we place the weight of our longings and failings on Christ, He will not be crushed. He is sufficient for us. We can find the strength to persevere, in His transcending love for us! HE WILL UPHOLD US!

Go do something dangerous!

Catch -up

2008-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! I cruised over to the Morgan Journey blog today and was surprised at how far behind I am in updating the watching world on our adventure.

First, thank you to everyone who prayed for us and helped us on our trip to Philadelphia. It was good to have the time away with my bride and to know that a steady stream of prayer was being offered on our behalf.

Secondly, the week of assessment was exhausting but good. As most of you know, Laura and I were appointed by World Harvest Mission to join their Church Resources Team in Ireland. If this seems like a big, life-changing thing, IT IS!!!!!!!!!!

As we have returned from assessment, the enormity of what lies ahead of us has slowly begun to sink in, and stress and anxiety with it. To be honest, the goal of raising the needed support and getting to the field in two years, seems impossible. We feel overwhelmed and incompetent. How can we do this? We don't know enough people nor have enough talent to pull this off!

This is the place where the transcending reality of the love of God for us becomes real. At this place we realize that all the idols we run to for strength are empty and powerless. There is no hope to be found in reputation, comfort, self-worship, perceived moral superiority or any other emptiness. Our hope must be in the living God. The God who has seen us as we really are and said, "It is finished". I love you in my Son and will guide you to the place of your calling. Walk with me.

The path before us is unsure. How we will get to Ireland, we don't know. We do know that our Father loves us, is all-powerful and is good!

How can we not prosper!

The Next Chapter

2008-05-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since the last post on the Morgan Journey. Our trip to Ireland was a blast. While there we spent time with two World Harvest Mission teams, getting to know a lot of folks and experiencing a small taste of Irish culture. Laura documented much of the trip on her blog… here

Since our return we have been busy living life with four kids and a new dog, and pursuing the next step with World Harvest. After meeting with both the MAP and CR teams in Ireland, (see previous posts) the general consensus seemed to be that we would fit better with the CR team. Much to our delight, we were issued an invitation to join this team ministering in Dublin. With our Golden Ticket in hand we were then instructed to apply to the mission board and seek to attend their Assessment and Orientation (A&O) week. With all of our references submitted and the application complete, Laura and I waited to see if we would be asked to come. Alas! The deception continues! We fooled the mission board enough that they have actually invited us to attend A&O this coming week from June 1^st through 6^th.

So here we are again, thinking, hoping, dreaming that God has called us to a ministry and now submitting ourselves to an assessment. UGH!!!!!!!!!! (read anxiety)

Almost a year ago Laura and I made a commitment to each other that we would walk through any door that God opened for us, and we would do so without condition. We never dreamed when we made this commitment that we would be considering missions much less that we would willingly put ourselves in the vulnerable place of assessment again. This is the door that God has opened.

Walk we will.

The schedule for this week:

Laura and I fly out Saturday afternoon to Philadelphia. Assessment starts with dinner Sunday night. On Monday we meet the World Harvest staff and other candidates, have a time of instruction and do a group project. On Tuesday we go through a series of interviews on our vision, finances, spiritual formation, personal (lots of personality tests) and others. Wednesday morning we take a trip into Philly while the Assessment Team meets to decide our fate. We meet for their decision that afternoon. If approved, we meet Thursday and Friday doing orientation type things. If we are not approved, we try to get our flight moved up from Friday to Thursday so that we can come home earlier.

Please pray for us and our kids. A family will be living at our house caring for Bella and Emma, and the boys will be with the Hambrights in Athens.

Laura and I covet your prayers. Please pray for faith. We desperately want this to be an experience of following our Savior and not a life or death thing.

I don’t like to write, so that’s all for now.

Steve

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-02-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, We are finally leaving for Ireland!

Please be praying for us that God will:

Protect our children
Give us a safe flight
Give Laura and me clear direction on His leading
Help us to believe the Gospel and be able to be ourselves

Peace
G

Moving Foward

2007-12-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Well, this journey the Lord has us on is an amazing thing. Six months ago, we couldn’t have dreamed we’d be planning a trip to Ireland – but plans are indeed heavily in the works.

Many of you, in fact, have asked us about the progress with our Ireland trip, so we thought an update was in order. And, of course, at this point, we have needs and requests that we must share with you.

We’ve been waiting, somewhat patiently, over the past several weeks to hear back from the field director in Ireland concerning dates for our site visit. After talking with the field leader and MAP team leader, we’ve agreed that the best time for us to go to Ireland will be Feb. 18-26. We’ve booked our flights, and, needless to say, we’re extremely excited that the trip is finally coming together.

As we’ve talked with the missionaries and processed all the info, we’ve decided to make a slight change in plans. Originally, we had intended to try and take Emma and Eli on the trip. For several reasons, now, we’ve determined that this initial visit will best be made by just the two of us.

With this change, the financial needs of the trip have changed. We now need to raise about $3,500, which includes airfare, lodging, car and meals. In God’s grace, we’ve already been given $1,230, leaving a balance for the trip of $2,270.

In addition to financial needs, we have many things for which we covet your prayers. Please pray for our children while we’re away, for safety and for joy in what God is doing. Also pray for God to protect us and strengthen our marriage; it seems that many attacks have been coming our way of late. Pray that God will give us clear direction in His leading, that He would protect us against the ambitions of our flesh. And finally, please pray that we will remember the Gospel. It’s very tempting to approach this endeavor as orphaned children forgetting that we have a loving Father who walks with us, cares for us, and has given us all we need to have peace, joy and contentment.

If you would like to give financially to help us make this trip, please make your check out to Community Presbyterian Church, and write “Morgan’s’ Trip” in the memo line. You can mail the check, place it in the offering, or drop it by the office.

Finally, we want you all to know that we’re humbled and awed at the work of God in our lives, and we’re profoundly blessed that you love us and call us part of your family. Our prayer is that through this process, we’ll all see God in a real way and be strengthened in belief.

In Christ,
Steve and Laura

Stepping out the door

2007-11-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

If you've read the previous post, you now know of the surprising road God has taken us down over the past several months. As we detailed in that post, we are currently in a conversation with World Harvest Mission concerning the potential of going onto the mission field in either Ireland or England.

Over the past two weeks, God has begun to widen the path before us. Many of our friends have encouraged us, and our conversations with the teams in Ireland (particularly) and England have progressed. As this happens and God leads us step by step, it’s important to us that each of you share in this journey of faith with us.

This week, we have been in contact with the field director for World Harvest in Ireland, Eric Brauer. After talking with Eric for 1½ hours (on his dime), we are more excited than ever about the possibilities there! That being the case, we continue to believe that God would have us pursue this direction in ministry.

World Harvest currently has two teams in Ireland, the Missionary Apprenticeship Program team and the Church Resource team, both of which we are considering (and both of which, by God’s grace, are considering us). The strategy of World Harvest in Ireland is to work through these teams and other developing teams to raise up indigenous leadership, disciple them in the Gospel, and then mentor those who are called through the process of planting Irish churches.

As it stands right now, we could fit on either of these teams. By saying that we could fit, we mean that our passions for mentoring/discipleship, our convictions concerning the centrality of the Gospel, and our relational personalities, along with a couple of other elements, would fit well in helping these teams to accomplish their goals. Additionally, we should mention that World Harvest’s core values strongly resonate with us.

At the direction of World Harvest’s recruiter and leaders of both teams, the next step for us is to plan a visit to Ireland in February. The team leaders are working to coordinate the best possible dates for our travel, but as it appears right now, we (along with Emma and Eli) are planning to spend a week in Dublin in mid-February. This “exploratory trip,” as it is called, is the next step in the courting relationship between us and the teams. If, as a result of this trip, we are invited to join either team and are convinced God is calling us to this work, we would be free to apply to World Harvest and begin their assessment process.

We are still in conversation with England, but are uncertain at this time whether our exploratory trip might include a visit there as well.

As we proceed down this path, we desire (very humbly) for you to pray for us and for Community. We long for this process to be an encouragement to our church family and an impetus for all of us to see God in a fresh light, believe the Gospel, and walk closely with our heavenly father.

Of course, a trip to Ireland isn’t free (surprise), so we also covet your prayers that God will provide the $4,000-$6,000 we’ll need to make this trip happen.

We’re grateful for your place in our lives and your share in and support of us in ministry. Please email, call or come by and see us if you have questions or want to know more; we’re chomping at the bit to share the story.

For His glory,

Steve and Laura

The Journey Begins

2007-11-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

A strange phrase I think, "The Journey Begins". Are we going somewhere? Maybe, maybe not.
You see, the journey isn't about leaving, it's about stepping out of your front door.

"It's a dangerous business, walking out your front door. You step on the road and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to."

For us, stepping out our front door is being willing to follow God without restriction or condition- to be passionate about Him and where He calls us, not longing for something else or moaning about our past.

We sent this letter to our elders last week.

Steven and Laura Morgan
10/29/2007

Dear friends,

Laura and I want to thank you all for allowing and enabling us to attend this past Sonship week. (It’s very difficult to describe to you the blessings of having such a loving church family.) As we settle back into this week, we thought it important to update you on our experience at the conference, as well as what we think God is beginning to do in our lives.

As most of you know, the past year has been very difficult. The journey through church planting assessment was an incredibly hard experience. There was little grace in the process, which still saddens us, but we can also now see that the assessment showed us more about ourselves than we were comfortable knowing.

The pain, of what to us was an unforgiving process and a catastrophic failure, has been the defining voice in our lives for a good portion of the past year. Progress and healing have been slow. And as time has progressed, we have waxed and waned in our spiritual lives, struggling to get our feet under us and walk with confidence again.

Over the last few months, however, we have seen God begin to heal the pain and wounds of this experience. We have also begun to feel his call to surrender our desires to him. I’ll do my best to describe to you the movement of God in us over the past months.

Coming off of the assessment experience, Laura and I have struggled with knowing what God is calling us to. While we have always been at home at Community, we have over the past year felt that God may be preparing us for a different ministry. We are not certain what God would have us do, and we are content to work for His glory at CPC, but His voice is sounding in our ears, and we feel the pull to listen.

As we’ve struggled with our call, God graciously brought a retired minister into our lives several months ago to challenge us and give us wise counsel. This new friend, James Perry, challenged us to consider God’s call in our lives “without restriction or condition.” A strange phrase, I think, but one that resonated with me.

As I talked with James, I began to realize that I was stuck in my own conceptions of what I wanted to do and be – I was limiting God. And as I heard this Godly counsel, the Spirit’s work in me was to have me say, “We’ll go wherever and do whatever you desire.” I began to pray for Laura to become excited as well.

It was on the heels of this conclusion that the opportunity to attend Sonship Week arrived. As Laura and I shared our assessment story and heartache with Ron and Gayle Clegg during their visit to CPC, they encouraged us to attend the conference for the encouragement and healing it could bring. As we shared with the Cleggs the voice of James Perry telling us to consider our call without condition or restriction, Ron naturally assumed that we were saying that we wanted to consider foreign missions as well. After hearing what we thought our gifts were, Ron concluded that we might be able to work on the field in Ireland or England as mentors on the Church Resource teams of World Harvest Mission (the creators of Sonship). We were shocked at his conclusion, yet tucked the thought away with skepticism.

Upon arriving at the conference, Laura and I were assigned a “mentor” – someone who would help us an hour each day to work through the implications of the Gospel in our lives. In our case, it was a man named Meredith Elder. On our third day of meeting with Meredith, he asked if we had ever thought about using our gifts on the mission field. UGH! What does God have in mind here?

My first thoughts would usually be fear and anxiety. Laura and I have risked enough over the past year, and exposing ourselves to something else would be too much. But God is truly gracious. He has been there, whispering to us to trust Him, and even as we sat with Ron and then with Meredith, the voice of a father who loves us could be heard. We can trust Him. We can walk down the path to which he calls us, because we don’t walk alone.

Meredith suggested that we talk with World Harvest’s chief recruiter, Dan Macha, so we met with him, told him our story, and then allowed him to consider whether we might have a place with World Harvest. His conclusion was that we might fit with the Church Resource teams in Ireland or England! Sound familiar? Dan told us to meet with the Ireland team leader who was at the conference, and then begin a courting relationship with both the Ireland and England teams.

Following this conversation, Laura and I met with Joel and Cindy Hylton, team leaders of one of the two teams in Ireland. Again, we told them our story, being very honest about our assessment experience and the conclusions of the assessment center as far as our gifts and passions. They shared information about their team and its mission in Ireland. At least initially, we have found common ground with them, and our next step is to go to Ireland for a site visit in January. As for England, we have yet to begin a conversation with them; this is still to come.

If this seems like a big thing to you, you’re absolutely right. Laura and I could never have imagined this scenario, and, to be honest, the barriers ahead of us seem huge. The financial needs to make the trip to Ireland and possibly England loom first, and the knowledge that another assessment is in our future is a haunting reality.

Scotty Smith, pastor of Christ Community Church in Nashville, speaks a lot about the “narrative of self-fulfillment” – about how we tend to give God a “bit part” in our story, instead of realizing that we are characters in His. Over the past couple of months, and especially this week, we have felt God calling us out of this narrative, to die to ourselves for Him.

We love Community, and we covet your counsel and prayers as we walk through this door He has opened and seems to be wooing us toward.

For His Glory,

Steve and Laura