by David Docusen | November 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
I’m experiencing a really interesting mix of emotions right now. This is our last night in our beautiful home in Concord (about 20 miles north of Uptown Charlotte). All of our stuff is moved into our new place in the heart of the city and we are spending one last night in this amazing home God provided for us. A bit of back story…
After moving to Charlotte, a family heard of our story and was compelled to give us a beautiful six bedroom, 5 bathroom, 4,200 square foot home in an incredibly beautiful neighborhood for 40% of the going rate of the rental market value. Amazing.
We are now moving to another amazing place (at another amazing deal) in the heart of the city. It’s in a gorgeous neighborhood called Elizabeth right in Uptown. It’s less than half the size of the home we are currently living in, but it’s completely worth it. We are so excited to move, because downsizing is actually going to upgrade our lives.
We are going to live just a half mile from Max’s new school. Our back yard is Independence Park – a beautiful public park complete with playground and sports fields. Everywhere we walk in our new community, we meet people that God called us to serve. We feel alive in Uptown. And we love our new neighborhood.
I am so grateful for the past thirteen months in this incredible home. I’m also incredibly grateful for a new season of life that starts tomorrow.
Downsizing to upgrade. I like the sound of that.
by David Docusen | November 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
The past several months have brought much of the same challenges and victories, financially, for our family as we have become accustomed to in our church planting journey.
We are in the process of finding new and creative ways to engage in fundraising. I am so grateful for relationships that God has brought into my life to encourage me and teach me new ways to provide funding for our family and ministry.
The past couple of months have been an absolute miracle as God has provided for us. We start off each month with no money in our fund raising account, and God has provided every single month for every one of our needs.
For example, last month, we had over twenty different individuals, families and churches invest into our family financially and it all added up to enough to keep us going another month. That also included a gift of $1,150 from a church in North Carolina that I don’t even know. Don’t know the pastor. Never heard of the church. I even tried to call and say thank you, but never got a reply. I can only chalk that one up to the fact that God knows how to provide for his kids. He provides for us so well. And he uses people all over (even ones we don’t know) to do just that.
It’s a challenging and humbling journey, but it’s totally worth it. I’ve been praying for months about getting a full-time job, but continue to feel God’s direction to keep going full time with pastoring Center City. I will march to his beat for all my days. If he changes the beat, I’ll change my march. Until then, we keep going and trusting that he will provide.
It’s been 18 months. And we’re still going. All praise to God.
by David Docusen | November 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
Dara and I moved our first load of stuff into our new home. All of our kids toys and games now live in Uptown 🙂
We are taking the next five days to progressively move things one room at a time to our new place. We are so excited to live right in the heart of the city that we have been called to serve!
by David Docusen | November 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul gives a beautiful account of gratitude and a heart full of thanks.
**Philippians 1:3-6 – Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
I love this introduction to the book of Philippians. It shows the value that Paul placed on people. He wasn’t just grateful that the message of Christ was spreading. He was grateful for the people that God had brought into his life to share the journey and carry the message together. Some were with him daily. Some were far away. But all were connected in heart and spirit.
I am grateful today for Jesus Christ. All the good that is in my life today comes from him. I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful for the people God has placed in my life that have decided to share the journey of beginning Center City Church together. Some with us daily. Others far away. All connected in heart and spirit.
Thanks to all of you that are sharing the journey with Dara and I. I am so grateful today.
by David Docusen | November 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
Such a great morning serving with our team from Center City Church. We took a group out to Friendship Trays (a non-profit organization in Charlotte that feeds 700+ people daily) to help prepare meals.
We joined with their amazing staff and were able to knock out over 1,200 Thanksgiving meals today that will be delivered to families in need! I am so grateful for the people that God has brought to Center City. We are heading back again tomorrow and we’re hoping that this turns into a lasting relationship between Friendship Trays and Center City.
Great day!
