It was over 4 years ago that God gave Jon and I a specific mission to plant a church in a little neighborhood called Southwest Waterfront D.C. At first we didn’t want to go. How on earth was a newly married couple right out of Seminary supposed to plant a church in a place we hadn’t lived before, with no relationships, and with no money. When they told us how much we would have to raise it furthered our thoughts that it would never happen.

But God. He had other plans. He miraculously provided just what we needed to get there. Then at the last minute when we thought we would never get to launch because we had no team, He provided the most faith filled, selfless , and kingdom minded couple to join us. Every time our funding ran short and we thought we would have to close, He had different plans and provided. God has gone above and beyond in giving us what we needed at the perfect time.

Over these last few years we’ve seen many come to know Jesus, we’ve seen people grow in their faith, we’ve learned what it means to live missional, and we’ve seen a community loved and served.

Our young little newly Wed selfs 4 years ago never wanted to live in the city, much less D.C. but have now found ourselves in love with our community, our neighbors, and our church family.

But God,His plans are different than ours. We have seen how His plans are always better, and we are trusting Him once again. As much as we want to stay and continue ministering in D.C., He has made it very clear that we have done what He called us to do and it is time to go.

We are so very thankful for the opportunity to serve Him here. These last few years have been life changing. Every month our faith was tested, we have walked through great spiritual warfare and we have grown to love people with completely opposite backgrounds and beliefs. Though it would be easy to ask God why He would send us here to start a church if the plan was not to continue, He reminds us in His peace that passes all understanding that His ways are much much greater and we are just a tiny little peace of a much greater story He is writing here in Southwest Waterfront. 

To be honest, our greatest fear was failing, but in His still small voice He tells us we didn’t fail. We would have failed had we never went, and we would fail now if we did not take what we have learned and use it in the days to come.

I pray as we prepare to go that we leave a legacy. Not a legacy in which people remember Jon and Amber or Mercy Hill Church, but a legacy in which we have paved the way for others to begin running and do far greater things for the Kingdom.

Southwest Waterfront will always have a piece of our heart and so will the friends we’ve made along the way.

Our hearts are grieving, but we serve a faithful God who has never failed us, and we wait expectantly for where He calls us next.

So dear friends, as we wait and trust in His perfect plans we cling to these words from the good God we serve.

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