Moving in a New Direction

“We’ve outsourced your job.” “We’re no longer in need of your services.” “We need to go in a different direction.” “Your department is being downsized.” “Can we just be friends?”

Do these phrases make your heart beat a little faster? Your palms get a little sweaty? Your head start to spin? I heard one of these recently and it made my heart beat quite a bit faster. Funny thing is, my heart hasn’t slowed down a bit.

Ideas of what the future may hold have been swirling around in my head literally since my drive home after being fired from Shoreline Community Church (Monterey, California). (Yikes! “Fired” sounds brutal, and my dismissal was anything but brutal. A Sensitivity Rating of 9.75 on the Dismissal Scale. Congrats to the fine gentlemen in question.)

Not just job ideas have been swirling in my head. Also, silly little things such as how easy taking time off work for Christmas will be. And instead of one week paid missions trip leave right after Christmas, I think I might stretch it into two weeks in India. Unpaid, of course, but unhindered, too.

My time as Children’s Pastor of Shoreline has come to a rather abrupt end, but the road is wide open. I’m totally excited about the new direction God will take the children’s ministry at Shoreline (which I named “Shoreline Kidz”). I’m even more excited about the new direction God will take me.

Toward that end, I’ve got some projects in the works that I’m not able to disclose just yet, but will look forward to sharing in this space in the near future. Suffice it to say that your prayers are coveted!

A great way to communicate with me in the future is via my long-time Verizon cell phone number: 408.590.4186 and e-mail addy: michael@dentonbrothers.com. Drop me a line to let me know you’d like to be kept up-to-date.

One final thing.

Shoreline staff: Thank you for the opportunity to work alongside you. It was a great ride, and much is still being accomplished for Christ’s Kingdom. Keep up the good work!

Shoreline parents: Thank you for the privilege of working with your young people. Your children are truly a blessing from the Lord, and I pray you always value them as such. My verse for coming to Shoreline was Malachi 4:6, “He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers.” I pray that God continues to draw the hearts of your children even closer to you than before, and your hearts toward them.

Shoreline Kidz: I have LOVED being your Children’s Pastor. It has been one of the biggest joys of my life. To see so many of you come to a saving faith in Christ, to see you sing His praises, and to see you learn how to be His followers has brought me great pleasure. I know that the leadership at the church care so very much about you and they will find another Children’s Pastor who will love you as much as I do, and who will help you become totally committed to Jesus Christ. I hope we can see each other some time before heaven, but if not, may you continue to walk with the Lord all the days of your life!

The Children’s Ministry Staff: You are simply the best. My heart is filled with gratitude for your kinship, your teamwork, and your efforts on behalf of the children and parents of Shoreline. Thank you for investing in my vision and helping this Children’s Pastor do more than he ever could have alone. You did it! You turned things around, served our volunteers, supported our leadership, and made things happen. Keep it up! The next Children’s Pastor will inherit an amazing team. You are doing a phenomenal job, and I know the best of Shoreline Kidz is yet to come. You have become my very closest friends, and I love you all.