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31 Oct 2010

CELEBRATION! (with mom’s revisions :-) )

Almost a week ago, our journey here in Pittsburgh took an exciting new turn when our daughter, Jubilee Rayne, entered the world on her mom’s 30th birthday. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate a birthday than with a birth day, can you? Here are the vital stats for our little girl: Jubilee Rayne Gomez Born 11:38pm, October 25, 2010 Weighing 7lbs, 6oz 21″ Long AND HEALTHY! We know many of you were praying long before we knew Jubilee was coming that God would give us the joy of having children. We thank God for those of you who stood by in faith with us as we went through the heartbreak of being told we may never have biological children and continued trusting God for his best in our lives. We thank those of you who have already been praying for Jubilee by name — we ask that you would join us in praying she would fulfill the meaning (more…)

Tags: Jubilee, personal, Pittsburgh
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19 Oct 2010

You may need to hear this, too!

This past weekend, my generous, amazing, nine-months pregnant wife was willing to let me take the weekend away to spend some quiet time for prayer and solitude. During that time, I felt like my soul was refreshed and that some nuggets of wisdom were given to me to digest…lessons that you may find valuable, too–maybe messages from God’s heart to yours: You already have God’s favor–He sent Jesus for you. He desires you. He is FOR you. You don’t need to pursue God’s favor because he isn’t withholding it; it’s freely given. You must have more of God’s Spirit–God favors you to the max, but you must have more of his Spirit convicting, encouraging, transforming, enabling, and anointing you. Don’t settle for yesterday’s victories and intimacy. Your weakness is a positive game-changer–”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power (more…)

Tags: courage, Discipleship, Encouragement, faith, Holy Spirit, Leadership, personal, Scripture
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14 Sep 2010

Day One

Yesterday marked a serious step into bi-vocational ministry for me. I was able to get a four-to-six week temp position as a ‘personal care aide’ in a local facility for transitioning special needs students from high school to the ‘real world’ and yesterday was day-one for me assigned to a specific (and awesome!) student. There are a number of reasons why this could be tough: I’m not sure I have the ‘makeup’ of someone who can successfully work a number of jobs, especially when one of them is of the consuming nature of church planting; I have a couple of health issues that mean exhaustion sets in easily; I’m going to be a new dad very soon and need to/want to be present with my family. I may get to the end of this first stint at bi-vocationalism and realize I need to find a different, creative solution to our need, and I don’t think that would be shameful or (more…)

Tags: church planting, Encouragement, faith, Leadership, personal, Pittsburgh, The Bridge
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24 Aug 2010

That way!

As Sarah and I seek clarity on the ‘where’ of our next ministry endeavor (planting The Bridge’s first daughter church in Pittsburgh), the cry of our spirits to God’s has been, “Show us where you are moving and how to join you there.” A few years ago, in zeal and even greater immaturity than I now possess, I probably would have forced an exciting vision to bubble up, created a strategic plan, and then charged after what I had fabricated. But that isn’t right, and it isn’t at all what we want. We are praying, “show us when and where to move,” and will develop our plan based on the open doors and sense of God’s leading. In some ways, it feels like that means “let’s make this whole thing up as we move along,” but it’s the best way I know to heed what the Spirit directs rather than chase and build my own cardboard kingdom. So, we wait (more…)

Tags: church planting, courage, faith, Leadership, Patience, personal, Pittsburgh
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18 Aug 2010

Remodel

jxgomez.com is undergoing a bit of a facelift–I’ll still be blogging here (hopefully with greater frequency), but the rest of the site will be taking on more of a focus for the freelance work I do. Look for different pages and functionality than before, all coming very soon!

Tags: personal
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14 Aug 2010

August JourneyNote, the Final Installment!

A few days ago, we shared with you jus a few of the ways we have seen that the Holy Spirit is undeniably at work in Pittsburgh (I still can’t believe we get to be part of what he’s doing here!). We also shared our very real need for individuals, groups, and churches to support us as missionaries here. Yesterday we sent out a few ways you can help make sure we’re funded, and we genuinely thank you for prayerfully considering how God might use you to help us live and minister in Pittsburgh. We are committed to the work we’re doing in Pittsburgh, and I am in the process of finding outside employment. That’s where this final installment of the “Help Jeremiah and Sarah with Funding” JourneyNote miniseries comes in: With church planting is my primary vocation, a ‘second job’ in order to make ends meet needs to be one of a much more flexible nature than traditional employment. (more…)

Tags: church planting, personal, Pittsburgh, The Bridge
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12 Aug 2010

August JourneyNote, Part 2

Good evening, fellow Sojourners! Yesterday, we sent out a brief update about some of the exciting things happening with The Bridge; we also shared our need for financial support. As promised, here are a few of the ways you can help: Pray for God’s continued and unique provision; ask him to stir the hearts of donors and to create income opportunities for us. We know God alone is our provider and has proven himself more than faithful time after time. The way he provides often surprises us, and we’re thankful for the ‘willing vessels’ he is already using. Please also pray that we would have eyes that see the opportunities which come our way and the courage to jump into them! If you have committed to give but have not yet followed-through on that commitment as an individual, group, or church, please do so now; if you will be unable to fulfill what was promised, please let us know. Many (more…)

Tags: church planting, faith, fundraising, JourneyNotes, personal, The Bridge
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24 Jun 2010

Prayer/JourneyNote

The cat is out of the bag. While I’m not sure just where that expression came from (or why we take it to mean a secret is not-so-secret anymore), we have some news to share. At our District Conference last monday, our District Superintendent shared The Bridge’s plan to daughter a new church in June of next year. Sarah and I will be the lead planters in what we’re affectionately, for now, calling ‘Bridge 2.0’ and are excited about that next move. This is definitely a big step, but it’s part of an even bigger dream of developing an urban church planting and training center from which church planting teams are prepared and sent throughout the region, nation, and globe. It’s an impossible vision that will take the activity of God’s own Spirit to accomplish–and that excites us to no end! For now, we ask you to pray for us as we identify the people and place where the next (more…)

Tags: church, church planting, JourneyNotes, personal, Pittsburgh, The Bridge
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03 May 2010

Myth: There is Such a Thing as A “Typical” Church Planter

<image courtesy of carbonNYC @ Flickr> I have never met a ‘typical’ church planter. Sure, assessment helps determine whether someone has a demonstrable history of the kind of gifting and passion needed to help find success in a planting endeavor, but beyond certain gifts, history, and focus, it seems there’s no real ‘church planter’ mold. In most of the circles I engage, it seems someone who is an ‘ideal fit’ for church planting is a young, good looking, tech-savvy, trendy, incredibly oratorically gifted, overwhelmingly catalytic guy. But the real, flesh-and-bone church planters I know are different. They are women. They are men. They are younger. They are older. They are passionate. But they aren’t the people you would probably chase down to start a new church. Maybe I’m looking at this too much through my own eyes–when I think of me being involved in the church planting adventure, I see all the reasons I shouldn’t be here: I am too broken, (more…)

Tags: church planting, Encouragement, personal
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13 Dec 2009

JourneyNote #3

55.5 Square Miles Within an area of 55.5 square miles, not very far from where I write these words, is a community which is home to fortune 500 companies, seats of commerce, houses of industry and institutions of innovation and education. Within those 55.5 square miles, hundreds of thousands work, live, and build relationships. Millions more live just outside the area. The community found within that tract of land is known for an uncanny ability to reinvent itself; so resilient are these people that the recent G-20 Summit was hosted there to showcase one city’s ability to not only weather but grow stronger through economic crises and global storms. Within those 55.5 square miles, you will find incredible fusions of old and new, stayed and untried. You will also find 455 bridges, 712 public stairways, 8 tunnels, 90 distinctive neighborhoods, and 140 separately identifiable ethnic groups. But you won’t find a single Wesleyan Church. In fact, you won’t find a (more…)

Tags: church, church planting, JourneyNotes, personal, Pittsburgh, The Wesleyan Church
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