Life

Day 1

Happy New Year!

I know… I know. That was earlier this week. But this week has been mostly cleaning things up from last year and get things ready for next year (this year). And so really… Today feels a bit like the last day of 2018 and maybe Monday is the beginning of the new year.

But I’m choosing today. Because ultimately, New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date on the calendar. It probably made sense at some point in history, but at this point, other than my calendar and my finances, there is nothing different between December 31 and January 1.

So today I’m moving some of 2019’s projects forward and I’m marking down some goals for the next 12 months. And today I’m wishing you a Happy New Year. You can decide whether I’m early or late, but it is definitely working for me.

Last Day

This past Sunday was, officially, my last day at Kensington Church. This season definitely represents a significant chunk of my professional life. Just shy of 8 years according to my official HR start date. Almost 9 years since I met Kevin and jumped into the unknown. Wow!

At the end of both services Sunday Kevin invited me and the family up to say thanks, say goodbye, and pray for us as we jump out on this next adventure. I had some tentative thoughts planned, but the song we closed out the day with kinda threw me and got me reflecting on the last 15 years, and not just the last 8.

Maybe you’re familiar with the Elevation Worship song, Do It Again… If not, the chorus says:

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

And I realized this journey we’re ended, the new adventure we’re starting, they are just another page in a larger story that God has been, and will continue to be working in. God brought us back to Orlando, introduced me to Alex, introduced me to Kevin and Kensington, brought me on staff, lead us through a short sale, changed my role at Kensington countless times, and brought me to this place we are at now. And so we begin the long climb to being fully supported in my new role. But God has done so much to get us to this moment where we can begin that climb, why would I doubt that God would do it again.

The one thing I think I articulated reasonably well Sunday (it was an emotional moment) was simply this. Following God was worth it. It was worth it to come back to Orlando. It was worth it to jump in with Kensington. It has been worth the struggle that planting a church like Kensington has been. And it is worth it to jump off on this next adventure. I don’t know how easy or hard this next chapter will be, but I know it will be worth it.

I’ll leave you with links to video from this past Sunday. Not my best, composed, stage moments, but like I said, it was an emotional day. One of those bittersweet moments of joy and loss.

1st Service

2nd Service

For more info on our upcoming adventure, go to chrismarsden.com/gcmi.

Only 3 Days Left

Maybe that’s what your kids said to you walking out the door this morning. “Only 3 School Days Left!” And here in Orange County, FL, that’s actually true. Only 3 school days left until Summer. But I’m sitting here in my office for the last time. Tomorrow I’ve got some things to sort and some final todos to get to-done and then Sunday is my last day on staff with Kensington Church. Only 3 days left. Period.

Last night I wrapped my final Windermere Prep event in this role. It was the 8th grade graduations titled “Turning A Page”. And it was fitting, because that event, which has always been one of my favorites, epitomizes what I’m feeling right now. It’s that bittersweet excitement for what’s next and nostalgia, already, for what you’re leaving behind. I am SO excited for the next chapter, for turning the page. But unlike Middle School, my season at Kensington has been almost 9 years.

Just like last night, there is a part of me that wants to stroll down memory lane, but really I want to celebrate Turning A Page. Starting Monday I am no longer a staff member of Kensington Church. This June, we’ll be spending some time celebrating anniversaries, hanging out with family, cleaning the house (it’s been a crazy spring), and resting. And then July 1, the new chapter officially opens and a new adventure begins. I can’t wait!

My new role was literally made for me. I will be working out of my strengths with an organization that is highly aligned with my philosophy of mission and ministry. The short version (read more here): Global City Mission Initiative is a missions agency focused on Discipleship & Evangelism in global, urban places. We are planting churches with people groups that are hard to reach through traditional church methodology (even edgy churches like Kensington) and doing it in places that are naturally global and transient. My job will be to work behind the scenes to help maximize what we’re already doing and multiply our capacity to expand the number of mission catalysts in the field and the number of fields we are in.

A lot like those 8th graders last night, most of whom will still be a part of the Windermere Prep family, just a few hundred yards away in the high school, we aren’t moving anywhere. We’ll still be around Kensington, just as members/volunteers. I’ll still be freelancing as a tech around town, even occasionally at WPS. And in some ways that makes all this easier. And in some ways that just increases the weirdness and bittersweet of the whole thing. But here’s what I know. God has brought us to this moment, and the next 3 days are the crazy precipice of this long journey, but it’s just 3 days in an even longer adventure that God has been working through all along.

Only 3 days left. Can’t even imagine all the things God is going to do after that!

3 Quick Notes

For more about Global City Mission Initiative and my new role, go to chrismarsden.com/gcmi.
For regular updates about what I’m up to subsribe at eepurl.com/11OGn.
To make a donation to support my work with Global City go to cma.rs/support. Our goal for salary, HR expenses, and ministry funds is $8,000 per month in ongoing support.

2018

I really can’t believe it’s already 2018. Five years ago I sat down with some friends and mapped out the coming decade. Some of it was dreaming and speculation. Some of it was just the concrete facts of what was happening in the coming years. 2018 was a big one.

In 2018, I turn 40. My oldest turns 16 (and doesn’t get a car, quite yet, but still). We celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

No matter what I did or didn’t do over the last 5 years, these were the facts that were going to happen, no matter what (I guess technically there are huge life altering derailments that could have changed those things, but you get my point).

And now we are here. 2018.

Hold on. It’s only just beginning.

Slow Down

Sometimes, momentum is a great thing. You dream of momentum. You pray for momentum. You look at that guy down the road and wish you had the momentum he does. Other times, momentum is going to take you through the guard rail and over the cliff. Really, you just need to slow down.

Right now I’m feeling that momentum start to build. We’re not quite there yet. We’re not going too fast, yet. But I’m not sure if all the wheels are on straight and we’re starting to get going. And if I don’t slow down, it won’t be long before the only way will will slow down is to crash. And start over.

So I’m slowing down (a little), taking a breath, and making sure everything is in tip-top shape ready for a good long run. And then hold on. Because we’ll be going hard and fast for a while, after that. But first, I got to slow down.

Maybe you do, too. Take a day off, breath deep, slow down, and rejoin the race ready to run, better than ever.

Where Am I Going?

I think the biggest question I’ve been getting with the news of my upcoming transition is “where are you going?” The short answer is… nowhere. My job is changing, but my family and I will still be right here in Orlando, connected to a lot of the same things as we are now.

But what about Kensington? Pretty much the same answer. Starting next summer, my full-time job will no longer be with the church, but I will continue to serve as a part of the arts and production teams. After all, Kensington is our home. We have literally poured out our blood, sweat, and tears over the last 8 years, and we continue to be excited for the future. And they’re excited for our future, too. We are transitioning on great terms, doing our best to help each other win as we move forward.

The next several months are me starting to dip my toe into the new Global City world, but really it’s continuing to build team and prepare our campus for the transition to the new theater at Windermere Prep School. We’ve got some capital upgrades in the works, too, and we’re still looking at what does a 24/6 facility look like for our campus. Good stuff is ahead.

So what happens next summer when I officially change roles? Well I won’t be the production director anymore, so my work week will be a bit different. I’ll only be stopping by the Kensington office to bug the team or grab a coffee, but on Sundays I’ll still be in the trenches with the arts & production teams. I’ll still play bass occasionally on stage, and honestly, I’ll probably be able to play more often than I’ve been able to over the last couple years.

We’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere.

BTW… if you want to know more about what we are up to, I’d love to connect.