If you call Center City Church home, I have a confession to make: You don’t need me.

As your pastor and shepherd, I find unspeakable joy in leading this church family. It’s a calling that includes great passion and commitment. But I always want to be careful to make sure that our church family is pointed to Jesus, not to a person given temporary oversight of a community of faith. 
You don’t need me. You need Jesus. You need the Word of God as your guide that points you to him. My entire aim as the shepherd of this community is to try to find creative ways to help you engage with the Word of God that points us to Jesus. To his life, example and instruction.

You don’t need me. Because without me at Center City, Jesus would still be the head. The leader. And he would give another shepherd to point you toward him. We are all on a journey. It’s incredibly humbling to know that I have been given the opportunity to go in front of this group, pray into the future, hear from God and relay the messages each week. But all of that instruction is coming from time spent with Jesus. 

He is the leader, the one that gives direction. And for me to remain healthy in my calling and perspective, I have to remember that. It’s not my leadership that dictates my ability as a pastor, it’s my ability to follow that makes me a successful shepherd. Once the shepherd hears direction, leadership kicks in and then it’s time to be strong and courageous (as found in Joshua 1).

At the end of my days, I will know that I have led well and been a faithful shepherd if I have faithfully led our group into more understanding of how to do three things:

1. Reading the Word of God and applying it to your lives. 
2. Consistency of conversation with God through daily prayer. 
3. Living life together, as a part of a genuine community. Digging into the Word, praying together and sharing life. 
You don’t need me to read the word, pray or live life together. That’s a humbling thought. And it’s also a beautiful thought, because God called me to play my role in all of this. I don’t take that lightly and I will do all I can to point us to Jesus.

Center City Church is his church. Centered around the person of Jesus and the Word of God that points us to life, joy, peace, direction, passion, fulfillment, etc. I get to do this. I don’t have to do this. And you don’t have to choose me as your shepherd. If you have, I want you to know that I pray for you, I will fight for you and I will continue to do the best I can to lead us to Jesus.

You don’t need me. You need Jesus. And so do I.