Nashville, Tennessee

Look who we found wondering the highways of Tennessee

(Liz's bro being goofy)



Cat, our wonderful Nashville host and Liz

Opryland Hotel

From King, NC to Virginia

Itinerary

A.  King, NC

B.  Nashville, TN

C.  St. Louis, MO

D.  Omaha, NE

E.  Mt. Rushmore/Black Hills, SD

D.  Yellowstone National Park, MT

E.  Spokane, WA

F.  Bellingham, WA

G.  Vancouver, BC Canada

Goodbye Wilmington

Thanks to Shelley & Anthony for the party,

to the Bartons for hosting it,

to Anna for the wonderful pictures,

and to everyone else for coming!

We'll miss y'all greatly!!

Why are you going?

Why Seminary? Why Regent? and Why so far?

These are the ones we get asked most.  And they're good questions.  I (Matt) thought I'd take a moment and answer them.

Why Seminary?

For a long time, I've thought about whether or not I was called to a life time of vocational ministry wondering if I have the gifts and desire for the task. Within the last year or so, I began to realize through some good but hard conversations with my then supervisor that I was not made to be the overseer, head vision casting leader. I was made to be a faithful lieutenant, creatively, careful, joyfully fulfilling a portion of someone else's good plans for Church ministry. Specifically, I began to realize that I have gifts that can be used to welcome others and usher them in to the body of Christ, to walk alongside them as they meet the LORD and his people, to prepare them to serve. In six years of full time ministry with InterVarsity, I realized that the moments of ministry that felt most natural where when I was involved in those salvation and sanctification moments in others' lives.

But I was also feeling a bit beaten up. And I had an awareness that my answers to the big questions where only one layer deep. I knew enough to give a good answer to someone else, but I didn't have an answer for myself to the follow-up questions I began asking. If I'm going to spend a lifetime serving the LORD and his people, I need to know more of the LORD for myself. And so I made the healthy decision to receive the gift of theological education.

Why Regent?

I've been flirting with Regent for a while actually. My former staff was a distance learning student at Regent and would come back from the summers raving about his time there. I began reading some books by current and past professors that have greatly shaped me personally and in the ways I do ministry, notably Knowing God by J. I. Packer, Christ Plays in 10,000 Places by Eugene Peterson, Beginning Well by Gordon Smith.

As I began to look more closely at Regent, I was drawn to their unique distinctives: transdenominational scholarship, an interdisciplinary approach to theological education, and a commitment to the whole people of God. 

Regent also is unique in that it was not started as a seminary; rather Regent's original purpose was for the nurturing and equipping of the laity—the whole people of God—to live and work as servant leaders in vocations within the home, the marketplace, and the church.   So their approach to training pastors is unique.  From Regent's website: One of the distinctive features of Regent’s MDiv program is our long-held conviction that before students ask the question, What does it mean to be a minister? they must first ask, What does it mean to be a human being in relationship with Jesus Christ in our time? Thus, the MDiv curriculum is shaped so that the formation of the Christian person precedes and underlies the more particular formation of the Christian leader.

Feel free to check out more about Regent here

Why So Far?

This is the question our families were most curious about.  When I was looking for schools, Liz and I had several priorities that went beyond the educational and theological factors. 

We wanted to live in an entirely new place with ample opportunity for community.  We wanted to live in a setting that we probably wouldn't live in later in life.  We wanted to live near swimable water with plenty of green space.  We wanted to live internationally at some point in our lives. 

And while Vancouver is a great location, there are a number of factors that make it a costly choice for us, from the complications of international education to the physical distance from everything and everyone we've known to the substaions cost involved.  And we are having to give up a lot to be there, but we are especially grateful for our family and friends who have loved us well and send us with their blessing.  We trust that the LORD is going before us and is preparing a place for us in Vancouver.

and then there were none...

We're back to square one with renting the house.  Unfortunately, a few nights ago, our tentant's car was broken into.  This scared them a little and was enough to make them back out of their contract.  (The person who broke into their car to steal a GPS, also broke into several other cars along the block and was caught by the police.) This was a random incident. I've never really had any problems while living there. We have WONDERFUL neighbours, so it was unfortunate that this happened to the renter the first week. 

Fortunately, our property manager has someone else lined up and is encouraging that she'll get it rented again soon!  We'll keep you updated.

We have a renter!

Moved in yesterday! Yay!!!!! The wonderful new tenant of South Sixth Street just happened to come by on the day we were moving for a showing. So much for our efforts of keeping the house cute, clean and tidy to impress potential tenants. Despite the chaos, they liked the house!

Thanks be to the Lord for continually teaching us to rely on Him and not in our own efforts!