Life Update

For those who are not connected on Facebook, here is the original "news", explaining the start of this current ministry:

June 13, 2018

LIFE UPDATE:

This is long overdue – I’m finally getting around to my “life announcement”. As many of you already know, since this has been in the works for many months, I am leaving LPC at the end of June and taking a new position, starting July 1st. I’ll give the short, to-the-point, version for those who don’t care about how God arranged this, and a longer version with the God-details for those who like to see God get the glory.

BRIEF: I’ll soon be moving to Dallas, TX, taking a core faculty position as Assistant Professor of World Arts at GIAL – Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, (name change soon to Dallas International University). I will be transitioning into missionary status in the process. My ministry will entail teaching masters and doctoral level courses in World Arts and developing a doctoral level course in Ethnodoxology. It will involve teaching, administration, speaking, and working with various people groups around the globe to help support them in developing their cultural worship voice through the arts.

DETAILED-GRAB-A-CUP-OF-COFFEE VERSION: The beginning of this branch of my journey goes all the way back to Chicago. Before coming to CA, God impressed on me that I would be creating something that dealt with Worship Missions. I came to CA having no idea what that meant. Was Worship Missions already a thing, was it something I had to develop or was it already happening. When I got to LPC, I found the students that I believe God was referring to. They had a similar story of wanting to use worship and the arts globally. In my search to find global engagement opportunity for them, I discovered a new field of study - Ethnodoxology. I couldn’t find much information on it, even after joining the ICE (International Council of Ethnodoxologists). I finally decided to go to an Ethnodoxology workshop to see if I could find resources and connections for my students, so I attended it in January in Dallas. While there, a struggle started within me. I wrestled with God for three nights before he told me that this was not for my students, it was personal. So I returned to LPC and a busy spring semester with a little confusion. How was this to be personal? Soon after, two things happened in close succession. I received an email from the director of ICE containing a job application for a position teaching World Arts/Ethnodoxology (the one I am soon to start), and I was told my contract at LPC was not going to be renewed the following year. So, I realized God had set me up! It soon became very apparent that this was what God meant when he said it was personal. So, I go into a new field, new part of the country, new lifestyle, very sure of only one thing – God had it all planned long ago! He assured me that this was all part of the plan, LPC was the step to get me to investigate this field, and that my work at LPC was beautiful and complete.

We would truly love if you would consider praying for us in this new phase of life. I confess I had given up on the thought of missions – I often thought in my younger years that I would eventually go into missions, but it never happened, so I have to say that I was quite shocked that apparently God hadn’t forgotten! Honestly, it’s a bit challenging to think of entering into building a community of prayer and financial supporters, as well as entering a new field of study! But, knowing without a doubt that God has ordained this, I’m looking forward to what is ahead, knowing he already has the path perfectly laid out and his plan is always perfect – not necessarily comfortable or easy, but always perfect!

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Blessings!

Beth