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We’ve Landed in Denton!

We have landed in Denton! Like most of you, we are having a crazy Summer. I wrapped up my responsibilities at Christ Community Church in Houston, am working to transition Hope for Houston, have been networking with leaders in Denton, and working to lay the groundwork for a new church. I also spent last week at Southern Seminary working on my doctorate right before moving on Monday. We are still in boxes but in our new home!

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We are so appreciative of the calls and texts and meals. We are also appreciative of the friends who have stopped by to welcome us to our new city. Our family is experiencing a lot of excitement as we think and pray about the new church.

Transition is always intense. Even last week was filled with late nights and early mornings in order to meet writing deadlines with the degree at Southern. Kristen has felt more intensity than I have felt as she has worked to set up playdates with close friends, find a new house, pack up a house, move into a new house, and start a new life in a new city.

Last week our professor opened our mornings with readings from the book of Philippians. The morning devotions greatly encouraged me during this intense season. Paul is confident that the God who “began a good work” (1:6) in the lives of the Philippians “will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6). Today we can also experience comfort knowing that the good work that God has begun in our lives will be completed. The news, however, gets better because “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (2:12). God will complete all the good works he begins in our lives! During this intense season it has been an encouragement to know that God is working good and the seemingly endless tasks will get done.

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Refreshed

We have been all over the place this Summer as we transition from Houston to Denton. We have spent the past week in Denton so Kristen could help with her father and I could connect with friends and leaders. My father-in-law improves everyday, and it is a blessing to see his sense of humor returning. He will be in a rehab hospital for at least another three weeks. Thank you for your faithful prayers.

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It has been a joy to spend time with Jeff Williams who is one of my early mentors and has faithfully served Denton as pastor of First Baptist Church for over 15 years. I was blessed to hang with Jeff Weisner the college pastor at Denton Bible Church and hear about his plans to go through the residency program at Capitol Hill Baptist. He is leaving as we are arriving. I also had some productive and encouraging meetings with some of the pastors at Christ Community Church. It has been a special joy to reconnect with the Crenshaws who have already expressed interest in the new church. They are close friends who were in our church in Austin. I had the honor of baptizing Andy and marrying he and Jillian! It has also been fun to spend time with many other old friends this week.

Loving friendship has been refreshing to the soul recently. Jesus was described in Luke 7:34 as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners.” He was rebuked for this friendship in Luke 15 and responds with the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The unearned love of the Father in that parable is the love we feel from our Heavenly Father right now. We have been so blessed by His friendship, as well as the loving friendships he has provided us in Houston and Denton. We know there will be highs and lows when starting a new church, but the unmerited love of the Father refreshes our souls and moves us forward.

We officially move to Denton on July 22nd. I am working hard to develop our initial strategy. In order to begin laying out our plans I will launch an email newsletter by the middle of August. We need people committed to praying for us and this newsletter is how we can get the word out about our prayer needs. If you want to be included on the newsletter please email me at micah.caswell@gmail.com.

 

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