At the New Room Conference this year, Jon Thompson shared a powerful challenge: instead of only asking God for a YES, ask Him for His NO. A holy NO can protect, redirect, and launch us into God’s better story. I believe it—because I lived it.

On November 18, 2023, after months of prayer, preparation, and trusting the Lord through denominational conflict, our church received a firm and final NO. And do you know what we did?

We worshipped!

Because God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

As this delegate drove home from that painful and dishonoring special called conference, our families gathered to worship the Lord who had given them clear marching orders. Though slander swirled, mics were cut off, and long-trusted relationships were lost, God had been preparing them. The grief had done its work. They were ready to follow His leading. Read more about that here.

The very next morning—November 19—at the end of what should’ve been a normal Sunday school hour, parents quietly picked up their children and walked across the street to begin a brand-new congregation inside a funeral home. They carried nothing but faith, courage, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. No idols were taken and they started from a sacred scratch.

And the miracles began.

They gathered for the first business meeting on that Monday evening – November 20 – voted on a name, consecrated a leadership team, and called to offer me a position as the first hire. New families arrived weekly—no signage, no screens, no fancy systems—just hungry hearts. Panera became our office, Wesleyan discipleship became our shared language, and Jesus remained our uber-focus. Within weeks, God provided a permanent place to gather, grow, and serve.

The funeral home became a birthplace.

We rented folding chairs, sang with joy, and let the Holy Spirit lead every next step. Children wore holes in their pants playing on the floor, supplies traveled by wagon, and worship didn’t require perfection—just presence. Read about that here.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

Holy Communion was served outside resembling a grape slushie as we bundled for the below-freezing Georgia winter. We prayed, we sang, we gathered empty suitcases for local CASA children (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for the first local mission, we used battery-operated tapers for Christmas Eve, hung out in a barn with a ewe and a pig to retell the Luke 2 account with children at our first Holy Communion & Campfire Christmas, and finished with carols accompanied by guitar and a high schooler’s trumpet. It was 43 degrees and pouring down rain. There was work to do. We weren’t building a church—God was building a people.

On February 29, we closed on property and three buildings less than a mile away. It wasn’t smooth—there were threats, criticism, vandalism, and seasons of real physical and spiritual resistance—but God kept providing supernatural solutions. We learned, we made space for the Lord to work out His best for all, we prayed James 1:19 often, and we kept doing as much good as possible with what was in our hands.

By the end of year one, we had access to the entire property, children and youth spaces were almost completely renovated, missions expanded locally and globally, and our community discovered new ways to worship, serve, and grow together.

This week, on November 20th, we celebrate our second birthday! Looking back the first year, we dedicated ourselves to getting our legs under us with legal papers and potluck table life often. The second year, we dedicated ourselves to designing a discipleship pathway and experimenting with environments, community partnerships, and living into the COMMUNITY part of our name. This coming year we’ll dedicate ourselves to editing well and solidifying processes and systems to beat the devil and make Heaven crowded.

And through it all, one truth remains:

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

Last Sunday, we honored the leadership team who walked through the fire with faith, unity, humility, and holy courage. I’ve never known more smart, wise, humble servants of Jesus with such integrity. I would walk over hot coals for these people and I get emotional thinking of all the Lord accomplished through their faithfulness. Each one has talked me off the ledge more times than I care to admit. The crowns they will throw at our Savior’s feet when they see Him face to face will be so heavy and so many.

As our pastor reminded us last Sunday evening, we are a global, global, global, global, very Global Methodist Church—called to share Jesus with neighbors, nations, and the next generation through Spirit-led worship, discipleship, mission, and Wesleyan community.

Because this is our hope and our assignment: “Always be prepared to give an answer… for the hope you have.” —1 Peter 3:15

And we have hope.

Oh, do we ever.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. That is His nature.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36