For the Sake of the Call

Anniversaries are a great time to reflect, to look back on where we have come from and the experiences we have enjoyed together. It hardly seems like it has been seven years since our first service in Pleasanton as a new church plant. We met in the Courtyard Marriott meeting room with just a few people for that initial service, but there was the freshness and excitement of a new beginning. God has met with us in every service from the first!

As I looked back over the years I stopped to consider the investment we have made in the launch of this church. In seven years of commuting to Pleasanton I calculate that we have driven over 100,000 miles, spent about 1,800 hours driving (that’s 75 days on the road), and consumed well over 5,000 gallons of gas. Thankfully, gas was not always over $4.00 per gallon!

We have held more than 1100 services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, and Friendship group meetings. We have canvassed a large portion of the city, praying and leaving door hangers on 15,000 homes, distributing over 20,000 pieces of literature. We have advertized in newspapers, on the internet, and provided inserts in mass distribution to every home in Pleasanton. We have produced signage to direct people to our meeting places and left countless business cards in places of business around the city.

Why have we done it? Because of the call of Jesus Christ on our lives. From the first nudging of the Spirit in 1997 until the first service on November 18, 2001, there was a growing urgency to fulfill the call of God and plant a new church in Pleasanton. His call has sustained us through difficult times and disappointments. His call has encouraged us when victories were enjoyed and as times of growth were experienced.

In Paul’s writing to the Corinthians he acknowledged his own calling, but also recognized the calling of every member of the church.
“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, … To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, …” (1 Corinthians 1:1-2).

The pastor and wife are not the only ones who have sacrificed. Every person who has felt drawn to become a part of this congregation has responded to the call of God. Several have driven further than necessary to attend church. Others have taught Bible studies and reached out to friends and neighbors. Some have given sacrificially to meet the financial needs of the church or to support missionaries around the world. It has not gone without notice that you are a part of this group of believers because you feel you need to be here. The biggest reason that any of us are here is “for the sake of the call.” Jesus called and we responded.

The calling of God and burden of His Spirit has brought you into The Pentecostals of Pleasanton family!