In January of this year I completed 6 years of being the lead pastor at Living Streams. It has been awesome. I have enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. My family has enjoyed it a lot more than I thought they would. Our elder team, direction team, and staff are enjoying a strong sense of unity and momentum. And with all that going so well, Brit and I are planning to go on a “one-school-year” mission to strengthen churches and spread God’s word in the Republic of Ireland.
Now, please stay with me here and read to the end, because there’s more to this story!
For our entire marriage, Brittany and I have felt a missional call, a sabbatical call, and a Living Streams call.
Our missional call was tested and expressed when we spent 9 months in Gales Point, Belize, and 16 months in Dangriga, Belize. We were able to teach a lot of kids about the great adventure of following Jesus. We were able to help re-establish a church and raise up Belizean leadership for it. We were able to disciple young men and women as followers of Christ. We strengthened and brought some unity to churches. We found that our relationship with Jesus, our marriage, and our family bond has always grown through those times.
Our sabbatical call has been expressed by a rhythm of serving in Phoenix for 6 years and then going out to serve in another field for a time — just like the rhythm God ordained for the farmers in the Old Testament. God told them to work a field 6 years and then let it lie fallow for a year. We have twice spent 6 years serving at Living Streams, followed by a year of working a different field. While we’ve worked the foreign field, God has always done a deep work of renewal in regard to our identities and pace of life.
Our Living Streams call is expressed by the fact that I am 44 years old and have spent 26 of those years as a part of the Living Streams Church family, with 21 of those years working for Living Streams. My wife is 37 years old and has spent 25 years as a part of the Living Streams family, with 25 of those years working with the children at Living Streams. We have been — and remain — committed to seeing the Lord have His way in and through Living Streams Church. And since the elder team has asked me to be the lead pastor again when we come back from Ireland — and my family wants me to do it, as well — I am all in for the future at Living Streams.
Now, that’s enough about me. I want to tell you what will happen at Living Streams while I am away.
As last summer was ending, I asked the Lord to talk with me about my family’s future. The Lord brought a picture to mind and we had a fun and confirming conversation about my family’s plans for a missional sabbatical in Ireland.
Next, I asked the Lord to talk with me about Living Streams’ future. Each year for the last six years this has been a fun conversation between the Lord and me. But this time I wasn’t hearing anything. No picture, no thoughts, just void and silence. I found myself asking God if He wasn’t talking to me about Living Streams future, then who was He talking to? Immediately, Ryan Romeo came to mind. And I smiled.
Ryan has been my right-hand man, my confidant, my friend and co-laborer in almost everything at church. There really isn’t a plan or idea we have come up with which hasn’t been improved or pulled off by Ryan. He and his wife, Blake, have been very faithful to serve our church and have done so with great joy. Ryan has a unique skill set for ideation and implementation. He is steady and brave. He loves to go big, but has curated a deep appreciation and respect for the small. He has grown so much and also has so much potential for more. I have thoroughly enjoyed being on the same team with him. I am excited to see what Jesus will continue to do through Ryan, and I am confident that he will help continue the vision, mission, heart and culture of Living Streams.
I also have so much joy knowing that our elder team, direction team, preaching team and staff are all united in this pivotal year of 2022. By God’s grace we will bounce back from the depletion of the last two years. We will launch Living Streams in Spanish with Mario Benavides and his family here in Phoenix. We will send out missionaries to strengthen churches and spread God’s word. And right here on the corner of Central and Glendale, we will see a healthy local church continue to creatively expand God’s kingdom by putting His glory on display, building courageous people, and engaging in society’s pain, just as we have always done.
– David
Please watch this little video for more clarity on this topic: