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This has been a long time coming, the post is long, and I am more excited about this season of my life than you can know or I can say(or type). Here goes:

Last September, a boy by the name of Greg Wright brought a pistol to the school where I teach and took some students hostage. After a few hours of lock down, helicopters, snipers, swat team, running from one room to another, and anything else you could imagine where no one really knows what is going on, we were put on a bus where we were evacuated to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene, where I attend. During much of the discussion that followed on campus about improving school culture, I couldn’t help but think to myself that every possible change would only help surface issues because the truth of the matter is that we are broken people and we need Jesus. Until the conversation includes Jesus, it only deals with the surface. So I didn’t really participate in the conversation.

Fast forward to the beginning of December. Rhonda and I got back from a trip to New York that we had been planning to take since I graduated college in 2004. It got harder and harder to get up every morning. I wasn’t excited to hang out with kids and keep my mouth shut about the hope that I had in Jesus and that it was for them as well. During Christmas break I took some real time to seek God and what His vision was for my life. In all honesty, I hoped that I could start my own business making websites or designing graphics and still volunteer at the church on the side. The real result that came out the break was that God wants me to work at a church. I really didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t matter, because I wasn’t going to do it. I don’t like people that work at churches. I mean they’re ok, some of them, but I wasn’t going to subject myself to that willingly.

I wrestled with this idea for a few months, and it came down to a short conversation that I had with God. I asked God why in the world he would love people that go to church, fake it on Sundays and Wednesdays, and live selfish, sin-ridden lives during the week. (of course I wasn’t talking about myself*) Jesus himself had said that church people honor Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. Jesus recognized it. But then God told/asked me, don’t ask why I love these people, Kurt, why don’t you? And that is when I gave in.

I am called to work at a church. And it is ok. I am called to love people. I am not called to judge, but in spite of everything, love people. And that is where this journey has taken me. A position came open at my church to assist the Student Ministries Pastor, and after a lot of tip toeing around a sticky situation, I put in my application. I didn’t want to give up on the school and the hope that kids need. The greatest thing that has come out of this is that I will be able to effectively minister to hundreds of kids through the Axiom, a youth center downtown, and affect change in the lives of students in Oroville. For this season, I am going to work across the street, but I am still 100% for seeing students reach their God given potential and giving of myself to help that cause.

It was actually a drawn out process that left me not being offered the job for just over a month from when I applied, so it has been a secret but consuming much of my thoughts. I am glad that the time is here and that I can step into this next season in life. Thanks for reading, or at least skimming such a long post. Stay tuned for many thoughts on many things that you may or may not care about.