Prayer request...
April 1, 2009 - 7:10pm
praying for you
Tony,
Sorry to hear about the jobs and also excited for you for the chance for God to grow you. I will pray for you tonight. Seriously. I am away from home on a business trip in Atlanta and I am going to devote some serious time to prayer. I assure you that you and your family and your ministry is in my prayers.
tb
April 1, 2009 - 10:32pm
April 2, 2009 - 5:09am
April 2, 2009 - 8:04am
Remember...
Hey Tony,
My prayers are with you as well...just a reminder:
You mention in the original prayer request:
But is that the Holy Spirit talking to me or my flesh?
I just wanted to remind you that God cares about PEOPLE first. He also wants you to put a priority on your family over your job. When you put these two together, I would suggest that it's OK to take a job that might not be exactly right (or maybe it is) for the sake of taking care of your family in a lean time. I'm just suggesting that sometimes we're a little too idealistic about "our direction in life" when God just wants us to care for those around us.
This came off sounding maybe a little critical (which was totally unintended), but I really mean it as encouragement to take a leap in a direction that's "proper for right now". Sure, maybe a job at that church is being encouraged by the flesh...but maybe it's an opportunity to feed the family right now, and then God will use it to teach you down the road. That's the WORST case scenario :) The best case, of course, is that it's exactly where God wants you to go right now.
I'm not telling you to take it or not...I just know I'm someone who sometimes searches too hard for "the right direction" when other priorities should be taking charge.
(none of that came off sounding how I mean it...my brain's not awake yet...hopefully it made sense and was somewhat encouraging)
April 2, 2009 - 8:38am
Praying For Ya
You're in my prayer as well.
I would suggest praying for the wisdom to see where God will move you in all of this and the patience for the time when you don't know.
Also, don't worry about it. Chase where God leads but don't worry. Remember
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. --Matthew 6:27-35
Note: I just love this verse and find it to be a great personal reminder.
April 2, 2009 - 11:31am
Do you like MO?
You're welcome to apply at my church.
http://jamesriver.org/serve-give/career-opportunit...
There was also an tech position open last time I talked to my friend who heads that dept.
Hey guys, I have a prayer request...
I'm the part-time worship leader at a small church of around 200 in Lima, OH. We are seriously behind budget at the moment (almost $9000 through March, on a $250,000 yearly budget!). The full-time staff are all taking steep pay cuts for the remainder of the year. I don't make enough for a pay cut to be help much, but my Pastor told me on Monday that if there isn't a major turn around in the next few months, my position would by necessity be eliminated. He told me this as a heads up so I could start looking now.
Then, the very next day, my supervisor at the TV Station I work at told me basically the same thing. My hours have been cut to down below 20, and I was told it might get worse before it gets better, and I would probably be better off seeking employment elsewhere.
So first off, please pray for both of these ministries in this incredibly difficult financial climate. They will really need a miracle.
As for me, my wife and I are about to have our second baby in May, and this is not the time I would choose to start looking for a job, but since both my employers have told me exactly the same thing, in addition to making sure I knew I was doing good work, I have to believe that this is God presenting an opportunity for me to grow and stretch myself. So if you would, please pray that whatever door I walk through will be the one God is opening. I've been splitting time between tech and music for the last 4 years, and I really feel like I need to decide which direction God wants me to go in... and I'm very unsure if I want to be a music pastor full-time again.
I think I'd like to get a position doing video editing and live broadcasting at a church, with a healthy dose of design work, and maybe some studio recording projects if the church is interested in that. But is that the Holy Spirit talking to me or my flesh? Am I just scared to fail again as a pastor? I don't know.
The problem is, as I go through this process, there will probably be 10 music positions that want to interview me for every 1 tech job I put my resume in for. So please pray for wisdom and guidance on this issue!
Also, if you would, I've built a D6 site as my "portfolio" so to speak. If you would go over to this thread and critique the site the next couple of days, that would be very helpful!
Blessings,
Tony
Anthony Pero
http://www.myspace.com/anthonypero