Just about a month ago I stepped down as Pastor of Courageous Church. The past month has been very difficult for my family as we let go of the church we started and the only city we’ve ever known, but it feels right. Scary, but right.
So many of you have prayed for us and sent your well-wishes over this past month and they have helped us a great deal. Rai and I have been particularly touched and encouraged by the huge number of you that thanked us for our transparency and expressed how much you’ve related to our journey. Thank you.
I wanted to take a few minutes and give you all some real updates on how we’re doing, what’s been going on with us, and what’s next.
First off – and I am embarrassed to say this – my spiritual disciplines, personal holiness, devotional life, and prayer life is better than it ever was while I was a pastor (professional Christian). This book alone has made an enormous difference in my life. More than at any point I can remember, I am more committed to being a disciple of Jesus and operating in the purpose and plan God has for my life.
I’ve gotten about a dozen or so really great offers ranging from Senior Pastor positions, tech positions, staff pastor positions, and more, but we’ve decided to not jump right into anything. All of these great places have been amazingly gracious and kind and, if nothing else, helped keep my fragile ego healthy. Haha.
I’m working with a small trusted team of elder statesmen including Dave Gibbons and Frank Reid that have really taken me (and the family) under their wing during this time. I thank God for their support and sage advice/guidance. At their request, we’re going to be taking the next few months to refocus, heal, and really prepare our family for an adventurous life moving forward. My family is very excited about this time together.
Later this month, we’ll be moving to Southern California. Rai and I visited there last month and loved it and it puts us close to people that we love and trust that will guide us through the next few months. We are committed to being there at least through January and we are excited about the change. I’ve lived in Atlanta my entire adult life and have never even considered living anywhere else so it’ll be a big shift, but the entire family is excited.
As you may know, I have been grieved by the famine in Somalia. I’m determined to help make a difference there. Later this month, I will begin working on a very exciting, dangerous project there. The team that I am a part of for this project is one of the most diverse, gifted teams I’ve ever seen. We’ll be traveling to Somalia. While in East Africa – it is my hope to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro as the first mountain in my bid to climb the 7 summits in my project @ TellTheMountainToMove.org.
I aim to be done with my first book by late January. I met again yesterday with my literary agents and publishers and I am so excited. I don’t really care about seeing my words in print. I’m a digital guy. However, I really think that this book could change millions of lives and start a movement all around the world.
Finally, this past month has given me a great deal of clarity about my purpose. More than anything, my soul is awakened when I bring together people online and offline through social media to make the world a better place. I expect that this is where my future is heading and I hope you’ll be a part of it.
Anyway – we’re pretty much selling everything we have so we can be a mobile, agile family. Our kids are already calling themselves “pioneers” so I’m pretty sure this means we’ve raised them right.
Your continued prayers mean the world to me. I love you all.
-Shaun