This isn't really my story, the story of a pastor; it's the story of a church—a church founded on the prayers of hundreds of saints over the years —a church built with the needs of its community in mind and the faithful proclamation of the Gospel at its center.
"Why don't you plant a church?" I had heard this question or some variation of it repeated for over a dozen years, and his answer had remained unchanged.
Before the question was finished, my normal response was on the tip of my tongue, "It's not what I'm supposed to do."
But this time, it was different. Something had shifted. The words sat unmoving. I had watched people struggle with the church, God, their purpose, and each other. I celebrated with believers and non-believers alike as God moved in mighty ways, and I mourned with them when all hope seemed lost. And at that moment, all I could think of was the needs of my community and the people who had prayed for me and alongside me. And at the center of it all was my calling to care for them and to proclaim the gospel.
And then it hit me: what had stopped me wasn't obedience to something else. It was fear.
The conversation that followed was the first of dozens, all observing the same thing, all offering the same insight. They had all seen the same thing; they had all been praying for me to see the calling before me and faithfully step out in obedience. Many voiced an excitement that I was finally open to planting and a deep desire to be a part of it. I wasn't creating something new; I was finally starting to see what God had been doing all around me. Building up His church, preparing not just me but so many others. And moving the heart of man, of which, I admit I was most stubborn. This wasn't me and my church; this was a call to join in with what God had already been doing long before me: Kingdom building. And the need here was great; the city was exploding, and with it, cultures changing. But this brought a whole new list of questions. Where, when, and what it would look like was only the tip of the iceberg, but the three questions were daunting enough.
As daunting as these questions were, their answers clarified my calling and the future of ForestView. Myka and I had felt called to serve the people of Montgomery County for some time. From Magnolia to Conroe and Spring to Willis, we knew long ago that this was the area God was calling us to minister to. And now, with the new people moving in and the developments expedited, we knew the time had come.
We were already serving in a great church and knew that if this was what God was calling us to, there was no time like the present to start moving. But what would it look like?
We have found it hard to keep up with the modern church (even working there). Not only do churches have a lot going on, but so do we: work commitments, family outings, kids' sports, and 100 other things compete for our attention every day, and often, the church feels like just another thing vying for our attention.
We needed to rethink the church. We needed to move away from endless activities and start thinking about modern discipleship. We needed to see it as direct and intentional and aimed at empowering you, the believer, to evangelize and disciple in your home and your community.
And with this in mind, ForestView began to take shape. Today, we are still figuring things out, but we'd love it if you came and joined us as we seek to Make Christ known to everyone, everywhere.