Prologue

It's the winter of 2004, our church is in the midst of the "Purpose Driven Church" Campaign under the leadership of our pastor and myself, the director of the campaign. God is challenging many of the church family to step out and link up in ministry with a fresh start. From my 'comfortable' position as Associate Pastor of Education & Family I am anticipating great things from God with little change in my own life. After all I've been in ministry 22 years, 10 of it right here at this church, and it's 'safe.' I'm basking in the joy of it, being thrilled with the lives that are being changed, making grand plans to continue 'forever' in this life of 'spiritual comfort.' Enjoying the life of teaching teachers, working with children (especially 5th & 6th graders), driving senior adults around Texas to enjoy fellowship together in their retirement years while challenging our church to be 'Risk Takers' for the Kingdom of God.

In the middle of all this God was beginning to put events into place that would lead in a direction that at my age I really wasn't expecting. My comfortable world of ministry was headed for what those who put out the statistics on stress consider major stressors. My life is about to get "uncomfortable."