Here is part two. Part one is here.
2005 – In 2005 I learned that youth ministry was NOT what God had called me to despite all the people telling me that to be a pastor you had to do youth ministry first. Why did I ever listen to that bologna?
Early in 2005 we moved to be on staff at The Connection Church in Kyle, TX. At the time TCC was a brand new church plant just months into starting. Cole Phillips hired me on as basically the pastor of everything I could possibly do. I had to raise my own salary to go on staff and learned a lot about fundraising, leadership and vision casting through that experience. Again, I had no idea, but God was prepping me to launch Revolution Church.
2006 - Up until this year, everything I did was about being a leader and leadership. I had basically been repeatedly “baptized by fire” into leadership opportunities but never had truly learned to follow. Through 2006, God moved in crazy ways by teaching me what it meant to be a follower. It seemed like every time I prayed God answered “follow your pastor Zak” (which was Cole Phillips at the time.) I can’t remember ever growing so much in my relationship with Christ during any other time in my life.
2007 – My son, Couper Jay White was born on March 31st, 2007. He was born six weeks early and we spent his first week in the hospital. Couper’s birth made the idea that God gave His ONLY Son COME TO LIFE for me. God taught me about the urgency of the Gospel message and showed me that I MUST depend on Him. Again, prep for Revolution Church.
2008 – Talk about a LONG year. God started jacking with me about my life mission at the start of 2008. I reached one of my life-goals by running my first full marathon which gave me some confidence that maybe I actually could do this crazy thing that I felt like God was calling me to do. I also felt like God was moving me out of that season that began in 2006 where I was learning to follow, back into a full on leadership role.
2009 – Over the first few months of 2009, I prayed 100 hours about planting a church after being challenged to do so by Bil Cornelius. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. To keep a long story short, Revolution Church was birthed!
To conclude this series of posts, I believe that looking back helps us move forward. I am big on goal setting; I can’t help it. I just refuse to drift through life. Most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than they do planning their life out. I think that’s a tragedy.
God taught me a lot that year about growing up, relationships with friends and maturity.
