Celebrating Firsts

Seeing a person grow in their faith and knowledge of Jesus is a joy worth celebrating. Watching them change more and more into the image of Jesus is beautiful. Teaching them, coaching them, walking with them as they take on new leadership roles is an amazing privilege. These are incredible works of the Spirit in and through the church that should be celebrated.
Sometimes there is even more in those things to take note of and to celebrate.

Yesterday was a really big day for New City Macon, New City East Side, and for Larry Purvis.
Yesterday the New City Macon elders, working with the New City East Side deacons installed Larry as the first elder of New City East Side! (You can read more on the process HERE) That in itself is something to celebrate, but God has reminded me that there is so much more than the day to celebrate.

Eight Years Ago:

I remember the first time I sat down with Larry maybe 8 years ago. Larry didn’t come to New City ready to serve as a pastor/elder to the church. He was beginning to learn new things about God and the church and with that new knowledge came pride, as it often does in younger men. When we talk about the elder “process,” that is the day it really started - 8 years ago. I don’t remember all of the details of that meeting but I remember challenging Larry that day and it wouldn’t be the last day of challenging Larry. Over the last 8 years the challenges to Larry have come from many different leaders at New City. He has been challenged in his commitment to the church, in his commitment to his Missional Community, in his commitment to serve, to lead, and to love his family well.

Three Years Ago:

The conversation about Larry entering into elder candidacy started more than three years ago! A few of our current elders saw potential for Larry, with some additional training and coaching. So in 2018 we began the official process of elder candidacy. During that time we saw that Larry was struggling with a full life - a young marriage, job transitions, a new baby. He was unable to follow through on several commitments and his leadership was lacking. I think Larry was relieved when we put the process on hold and told him that the elders didn’t feel that the time was right. Larry was challenged then in his marriage, family, job, and church life.

One Year Ago:

A little over a year ago Larry responded to the opportunity to help us replant New City East Side. For me it was both a joyful and sad day. It meant Larry and his family (now a wife and two daughters) would be leaving New City Macon. Larry stepped in at East Side to serve wherever he was needed. He also stepped up to help lead the transition from Sunday School to Missional Communities. At the same time, feeling called to one day serve a church somewhere in a more formal and vocational role, Larry started our first New City, Church Planting and Replanting Residency. It was also during this time that the elders re-started the elder candidacy with Larry. The past year has been a “crash course” in church leadership, learning not only from books, teachings, and leadership observation and coaching, but through the experience of helping replant a church!

One Month Ago:

A month or so ago the elders and wives sat down with Larry and Yesenia for an interview, one of the final elder assessment pieces. The elders asked questions about devotional life, missional life, marital life, theology and pastoring. It is normally a two hour intense interview, but this one was filled with laughter and encouraging words. After Lawrence and Yesenia were gone it hit me - this had been the easiest interview I had ever led or been a part of! I was amazed. Now don’t get me wrong - it wasn’t Larry that amazed me! I was amazed at the gracious work God had done over the last eight years!

Over the last eight years God has taken a prideful young man, new to the depths of gospel and still weak in his theology and practice and made him an elder, still maturing, still growing, but a biblically qualified elder! Larry and Yesenia’s answers oozed gospel. They knew the gospel, applied the gospel to their own lives and in answering counseling questions, and they deeply believed the gospel for their own lives and marriage. And New City Church has graciously been a part of that making and shaping!

One Day Ago:

One day ago, Sunday, Larry Purvis stood before the congregation of New City East Side and in their presence, the presence of their deacons, and the presence of our Macon elders, he made covenant to love and follow Jesus and to shepherd the people of East Side to do the same. Then with the laying on of hands and prayer, Larry became the first installed elder of New City East Side.
Such Grace!

Today:

Larry has come to love deeply the people of East Side and I believe, to be loved by them.
God has been so gracious and that should be celebrated.
Today my heart is full!