"...she calls it business church."
In 2008, Jessica and I put our lives on pause and moved from the farmland of Ohio to the mountains of Colorado.
Why?
Because shockingly to everyone else, we had both decided to attend Bible college full-time.
Why?
Because I had a, well… let’s just call it an epiphany. I knew that I needed a course correction in life. I needed to reprioritize and discover who I was meant to be.
And Jessica, as she always has always done, supported me 100% (or maybe 75% this time).
Over the course of 3 years, we made education and ministry our full-time priority. We traveled for missions. We made new friends. We rediscovered ourselves.
Three years later, that journey was complete, and we rented another U-Haul and moved back to Ohio.
And then we started a church.
And I became a pastor.
Why?
Because I knew I was supposed to.
And so we did.
And it was a good season of life. I loved teaching.
And I loved the people.
But after several years, the unexpected happened.
I knew in my heart that I was supposed to step down from the Pastor role.
It wasn’t because I had done something wrong or because things weren’t working…no, I just knew there was something else I was supposed to do.
But knowing what you are supposed to do and then actually doing it are two completely different animals.
Leaving the pastor role was extremely challenging for me. I felt like I was abandoning our people and my purpose, and overall, that I was just missing it.
But shortly, an answer presented itself, and the picture was clear.
A dear friend and strong supporter of our church was finishing her bible college journey and was searching for her next step. Taking over our church was her answer…and mine.
She took our little seed of church and built something perfect and wonderful that is going strong today.
Sometimes, your next step opens the door for someone else’s next move. Just do it!
Fast forward a decade later to 2024.
I often think back to my time as a pastor and all the lessons I learned from that incredible season of my life.
I no longer have the official title of “pastor” or teach a sermon to a group of people every Sunday.
I no longer have that “church”.
But I have something just as good.
We call it Coffee with Champions. (No, we don’t sell coffee.)
Recently, I was at one of our Coffee with Champions workshops. And I was talking to our long-time Champion, Don, and he said:
Don: “You know, I really enjoy Coffee with Champions and just love coming here as often as I can.”
And then he chuckled and off-handly said, my wife calls Coffee with Champions “business church.”
Me: “Business church?”
Don: “Yes, business church.”
Now, that took me back in time.
This was the greatest compliment anyone could give me. Calling our program “business church.”
I love our Champions.
I consider them my people. My tribe. My congregation.
And I want nothing but the best for them.
Maybe I am still a Pastor.
- Lance
Check out my Coffee with Champions program.
