This past weekend my family and 14 others drove back down to Orlando. This was one of what I hope to be many “vision trips” over the coming months. I actually can’t believe I took a vision trip 2 months into this new journey! I feel like I am barely grasping all ahead and yet people seem to be already wanting to join what God may be doing.
We left at different times on Friday and stayed at my boy Chad’s house. Yep. He put us up and found housing for all of us! It is amazing to have people we know who are helping us in anyway during this process.
Woke up Saturday morning and I got to share my heart and passion for what we believe God is leading us to do in this city. Then we got to tour Chad’s church. They are a church plant in Orlando and have been in their location for somewhere around 3 years. Running 3 services (one on Saturday night) and have around 700 attending. The lead Pastor is Rodney Gage and they have been incredible already during this time. Touring and hearing their story got our thoughts swirling! We look forward to working with them and gleaning from them in the future.
We spent the afternoon driving around what we believe is the quadrant of the city God is placing us in. We don’t know an exact location right now, and may not for a while. However, we do feel like we keep returning to the same area every time we come back. I saw this area over a year ago as God began to work on me. I love the area, the diversity and the feel of being near the pulse of the city. 
We spent Saturday night simply enjoying each other. We had a blast with the group. They were fun to get to know more and it seemed as if we meshed well. Mexican and then to Downtown Disney…
It’s crazy to think that some of the people in this picture will soon be relocating and eventually will be part of the very first stories we tell as the beginning of Genesis Church. Also crazy to think that many of them will find new homes and new careers just to play a part.
On Sunday we went to Fellowship Orlando where many of us will attend until the launch of our church. Rodney did a great job teaching and really encouraged our team with some of his own personal stories. We look forward to working with them in the city of Orlando.
As Sunday continued to unfold myself and some drove around more and got a better glimpse of housing and neighborhoods in Orlando, others took the time to just enjoy the many perks of living in a great place. One being the fact that Cocoa Beach is just a 45 minute drive from where we are at. The kids with us had a blast. It was 71 degrees on Sunday in Orlando and 14 back in Atlanta – Crazy!
This trip was to take those interested and let them get a glimpse of what it means to leave home and sacrifice everything to be a part of this. Myself and my two future staff members have been praying that God would send people not just from here, but all over to play a part in being the core foundation of Genesis Church. What is God up to? I don’t know. But that’s part of the joy in serving a God who is full of mystery, because when it all reveals itself, He gets the glory.
Please pray for those who went that God would give them clarity and truly allow them to see the sacrifice and reward of doing something like this. Pray for us as we continue in the process. I have a house to sell, money to raise and a lot more ahead of me.
May God be made famous through this process and may we stand in amazement of what He does.
*If you would like to find out more about Genesis Church click HERE.
Tags: Chad Harper, church, church planting, church planting in orlando, fellowship orlando, Genesis, Genesis Church, orlando churches, orlando florida, Rodeny Gage, tim grandstaff, Vision
