In 2018 when I begin to feel the Lord call me out of my comfort zone, there was no indication of all that He would show me. I just knew something was going to unfold. When I begin preparing for my first cross-country move in late 2020, there was no indication of all that He would show me. I just knew He was calling me "out upon the water... the great unknown." When He sat me near NYC for about a year, it was tough. The people were hardened. Then He led me to WNY for about 18 months... boy howdy, the people were warm and open! He has grown me tremendously during my time in NY state. I have learned that much of His growth processes requires discomfort and becomes sheer adventure!
Since I have been serving in the Northeast, I have seen so much! It is in this season that I have learned to deal with the Jezabel spirit in leadership zones. It is in this season I have had to deal with my own default settings of disengaging or freezing when dealt with unkindly or dismissively. It is in this season that I have confronted my fear of lack and limitation. It is in this season I have learned to honestly say, "Lord, I want to trust You. Please, help me trust You more. Help me do it scared." It is with this backdrop that I want to share about the next season God is walking me into.
A few months ago, a ministry in CWI started looking for an Executive Director. This was about the same time I began feeling His pull on me to walk into more (scared). I reached out to my local pastoral contacts in Buffalo and let them know what I was feeling. They graciously agreed to serve as reference for my current role in local church ministry. A few weeks after that I reached out to my long-standing pastoral network and asked if they would be willing to continue serving as a reference for my years in ministry. It was a few weeks later that I was in conversations with the Executive Search committee for faith-based organizational roles, and the process of vetting my work, life, calling, anointing, reputation, education, credit score, etc., began.
Now, I am officially announcing my move to CWI to serve as the Executive Director for a women and children's ministry that provides discipleship to those coming out of substance dependence, domestic abuse, incarceration, human trafficking, and other disparaging life circumstances. It will be my privilege to serve as shepherd to a team of mature Christian women as they lead families and students in a growing faith journey of getting to know Jesus more. Can you believe it?!? I am beyond excited for this next season!! I am beyond grateful for the power of the Holy Spirit that has kept me, covered me, informed me, enabled me, directed, and protected me.
For those of you who pray for me here are some requests that I have:
1. Please pray for there to be intense encounters with God's love in the hearts of the women and children in the ministry that I will be shepherding.
2. Please pray that I will endure the work of moving (again) and for the sustaining power of our Lord to strengthen me.
3. Please agree with me in prayer that the Revival movement God has started in the earth will be experienced in CWI and that souls will be won to believe the Gospel.
4. Please agree with me for financial resources to abound and good seed to come from the micro-business models that we will incorporate into the financial landscape of the ministry there.
5. Overall, please agree in prayer that the families connected to the women we will serve, (their husbands and children) will be lit up by the Gospel, will choose to live free in Christ and will respond to God's call on their life.
Thank you! And, YAY, I'm so extremely excited!!!!!
Love you,
Liz
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