The Missional Nomads
So, here’s the whole story. For anyone who wants to know why on earth a family of 6 would agree to sell/give away virtually everything they own, and move into less than 280 SQF on wheels, We’re going to break that down for you here.
The Story/Mission –
A few years ago, when we were itinerating full time as worship leaders and pastors, we recognized a HUGE deficit within the body of Christ. We noticed, in every place that we traveled to minister, there were faithful leaders pouring themselves out for the sake of equipping and strengthening the body, BUT often, at the expense of their own emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Many leaders are great at caring for everyone around them, but they don’t often have a place to lean when they personally need care.
The reality is that most pastors and ministry leaders across the US have been holding up small bodies of 100-300 people for 10/20/30 years. They are overworked, underpaid, and often working multiple jobs on top of the never-ending demand of ministry work. They can’t afford to pay a team, let alone traveling ministers to come in and breathe fresh life into their communities. This means they take on more responsibilities than you can possibly imagine. And over time, the weight of all of it takes its toll. One way or another, even in the most faithful, integrity filled, in love with Jesus leaders, with nowhere to lean and few reinforcements, the result is often burn out, depression, loneliness, compromise, and a major strain (if not devastation) on their families and their marriages.
For years we have sat in homes, green rooms, back rooms and around restaurant tables while pastors and leaders have expressed great personal need. We’ve wept with them, prayed for them, and then had to catch the next plane out of town. Simple solutions, like a regular date night for a month straight, a coffee connection where they can really process and talk through their heart without needing to hold anything together, someone to preach every Sunday so they can take a break for a month, someone to bring fresh wind and passion to their teams, real equipping, without the burden of having to financially come up with the already strained resources to pay them. A retreat would be great, but it’s not sustainable or realistic for most pastors and leaders. The responsibilities don’t just pause when they are sinking. So, what if we brought the “retreat” to them?
We started asking the question, “Lord, how can we help?” And that question grew into more questions. What if the pastors didn’t have to pay us to come because the body of Christ was sending us to them already? What if we didn’t just breeze in for a weekend but could linger and offer whatever support they needed for weeks at a time? What would it look like to care intentionally for OUR family, while simultaneously caring intentionally for the overlooked pastors and leaders of our nation? Is anyone asking these leaders, “what do you need? How can we help?” and if not, would WE be willing to respond to this profound need?”
From the beginning of our marriage, we KNEW that we were designed to do this together. When we started having children, our passion to do it together as a family lit up with fresh fire. Broken marriages and broken families should not be the prevalent condition of the body of Christ. We must show the world a different way. And we have to offer the support that is desperately needed. Allowing pastors and ministry leaders to have “need”, to lean somewhere for support, to be encouraged and reminded of their first love so that they can lead with vigor and strength, health and wholeness, THROUGH the generations.
The Lord asked us if we would leave the stages and platforms (99), to love on the faithful and overlooked heroes in hidden places (1), and we said, “YES!”. Our yes looked like selling and giving away virtually everything we owned, purchasing a home on wheels and making it a haven for our family, and traveling across the US to linger with and love pastors and ministry leaders right where they are, just as they are. Will you help us leave the 99 for the 1? It’s time to respond to this great need in America. Will you respond with us?
How Can You Help?:
1. Partner with us missionally for the pastors and leaders of the nation by supporting us financially on a tax deductible, reoccurring, monthly basis:
2. Sow a one time, tax-deductible gift into our family to get us on the road (RV Maintenance and Repairs, Ministry Vehicle Expenses, Annual RV Site Memberships, etc.)
3. Join our intercessory team to receive regular updates on each location, learn a little about the pastors and leaders we will be ministering to, and cover our family while we are traveling and serving in this missional way.
4. Join our “Go Team” to be alerted when there are special financial needs for the pastors/leaders and their families that we will be ministering to, and become a committed part of that solution.