Hey there!
I am the worship Pastor for my church and have just this past month trained up our new Youth Pastor as I was the Youth Pastor as well for the past 2 years and was merely God's fill-in for a season. I wanted to share with you how personally and deeply Brian Cline and all his sponsors and co-laborers have impacted me by this tournament for Pastor Appreciation in hopes that you might be a little encouraged by how you have encouraged me...
I have been in ministry since age 15 and started leading worship at 17... I became a full time worship leader in 2002. 2 Years ago we had a tough situation with our youth ministry and were in need of a youth Pastor. I was asked to step in and take it over, while still maintaining my responsibilities as the church's main Worship Pastor and leader, the Youth Ministry's Pastor, the Youth Ministry’s Worship Leader, a Radio Live Devotional talk show co-host, a Bible School student, and even more importantly a husband and Father of two babies...
This year at age 26 I came as close to burning out as I ever would want to come. I absolutely love Jesus down to my bones, and I love ministering to His people and serving them and encouraging them, however this year all the time I had taken from my family to do all this took its toll and fell brutally down upon my shoulders, affecting my marriage, my kids, and my self-esteem and joy for life. Not only did I want to quit being a pastor and worship leader, but I wanted to quit being alive. Satan threw every pitch in his bag of tricks at me to discourage me. I cried out to God and stayed my course in obedience and He came through at just the right time about 2 months ago.
Although I am now being released fully into my purpose as a Worship Leader/Songwriter and have been able to redirect my focus towards my marriage and family as well, I guess I never realized the wounds were still in the process of healing... but today at this golf tournament, I felt like God sealed the deal on encouraging me and coming to my rescue...
I was overwhelmed that Brian worked so hard to put this all together just for me and other pastors like me. I heard his heart within his words, and he clearly expressed his care and passion for seeing me encouraged. Not only that, but I could barely fit all the stuff in my car to come home with (the awesome shirt, the bag of great resources, the sweet plaque, and the TAYLOR MADE golf bag I won! Woo hoo!), and there was not enough room to put a lid on my heart of all I had taken in that day, and it bubbled over the whole ride home in talking with some other pastors from my church. The guys I golfed with were truly awesome men of God and at the end of our round of golf, we stood together, locked arms over each other's shoulders in embrace, and prayed together to God in thankfulness and then prayed for each other's churches, cities, families, and ministries... right there at the golf cart return...I experienced such a strong time in the presence of God on that course all day... and it really peaked for me at that moment of prayer and also when the singer from 4Him sang the song "Atmosphere" - I think his name was Andy Chrisman??? I wept as he sang and I felt God envelop me within the atmosphere of His peace and rescue... I couldn't keep the tears back... God was healing me, holding me... This tournament was an unexpected surprise that hit me out of nowhere and God used it in such a powerful way to bring me back to home base in His arms of rest. Thanks again many times over to every single person who did anything in making this event happen. Buddy's humor and hunger for the message of Jesus really lifted me up...Orange County National was just stellar in the way they served us. The course was fantastic (Panther Lake) and I played my best round of golf ever, Glory to God! I just got the motherload of physical, emotional, and spiritual blessing and I want you to know how deeply thankful I am for you having done this. God bless you and I pray for continuing increase and blessing on what you are doing for our awesome God.
For more information go to www.pastorappreciationministries.org
I am the worship Pastor for my church and have just this past month trained up our new Youth Pastor as I was the Youth Pastor as well for the past 2 years and was merely God's fill-in for a season. I wanted to share with you how personally and deeply Brian Cline and all his sponsors and co-laborers have impacted me by this tournament for Pastor Appreciation in hopes that you might be a little encouraged by how you have encouraged me...
I have been in ministry since age 15 and started leading worship at 17... I became a full time worship leader in 2002. 2 Years ago we had a tough situation with our youth ministry and were in need of a youth Pastor. I was asked to step in and take it over, while still maintaining my responsibilities as the church's main Worship Pastor and leader, the Youth Ministry's Pastor, the Youth Ministry’s Worship Leader, a Radio Live Devotional talk show co-host, a Bible School student, and even more importantly a husband and Father of two babies...
This year at age 26 I came as close to burning out as I ever would want to come. I absolutely love Jesus down to my bones, and I love ministering to His people and serving them and encouraging them, however this year all the time I had taken from my family to do all this took its toll and fell brutally down upon my shoulders, affecting my marriage, my kids, and my self-esteem and joy for life. Not only did I want to quit being a pastor and worship leader, but I wanted to quit being alive. Satan threw every pitch in his bag of tricks at me to discourage me. I cried out to God and stayed my course in obedience and He came through at just the right time about 2 months ago.
Although I am now being released fully into my purpose as a Worship Leader/Songwriter and have been able to redirect my focus towards my marriage and family as well, I guess I never realized the wounds were still in the process of healing... but today at this golf tournament, I felt like God sealed the deal on encouraging me and coming to my rescue...
I was overwhelmed that Brian worked so hard to put this all together just for me and other pastors like me. I heard his heart within his words, and he clearly expressed his care and passion for seeing me encouraged. Not only that, but I could barely fit all the stuff in my car to come home with (the awesome shirt, the bag of great resources, the sweet plaque, and the TAYLOR MADE golf bag I won! Woo hoo!), and there was not enough room to put a lid on my heart of all I had taken in that day, and it bubbled over the whole ride home in talking with some other pastors from my church. The guys I golfed with were truly awesome men of God and at the end of our round of golf, we stood together, locked arms over each other's shoulders in embrace, and prayed together to God in thankfulness and then prayed for each other's churches, cities, families, and ministries... right there at the golf cart return...I experienced such a strong time in the presence of God on that course all day... and it really peaked for me at that moment of prayer and also when the singer from 4Him sang the song "Atmosphere" - I think his name was Andy Chrisman??? I wept as he sang and I felt God envelop me within the atmosphere of His peace and rescue... I couldn't keep the tears back... God was healing me, holding me... This tournament was an unexpected surprise that hit me out of nowhere and God used it in such a powerful way to bring me back to home base in His arms of rest. Thanks again many times over to every single person who did anything in making this event happen. Buddy's humor and hunger for the message of Jesus really lifted me up...Orange County National was just stellar in the way they served us. The course was fantastic (Panther Lake) and I played my best round of golf ever, Glory to God! I just got the motherload of physical, emotional, and spiritual blessing and I want you to know how deeply thankful I am for you having done this. God bless you and I pray for continuing increase and blessing on what you are doing for our awesome God.
For more information go to www.pastorappreciationministries.org
posted by Brian Cline | 6:02 PM
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