It was so great to officially welcome Allan & Kim McCullough to Restoration City this past Sunday as Allan starts a church planting residency with us and The Summit Network.  Laura and I love this family and couldn’t be more excited for everything God is going to do through them in the coming years.  By His grace, there’s going to be a beautiful new expression of the church planted in Herndon, VA in 2017.  But between now and then, Allan, Kim, Leeland and Christy will be a part of our community at Restoration City.

Here are four quick thoughts on how we can serve the McCullough’s well in this season:

1. Get to know them.  I know that’s an obvious place to start but it’s something we often overlook.  Say hi on a Sunday morning, get to know their story, take them out to lunch, ask them about their vision for Grace Hill, hear the story of how God called them to plant a church.  Press beyond the surface and learn about their world.
2. Pray for them.  The more you get to know them, the easier this will be.  But we all can and should be doing this on a regular basis.  Take it from a guy who has done this before – planting a church is hard, scary and at times lonely.  It’s a faith stretching and building journey unlike any other.  Believe me, they would love your prayers!
3. Connect them.  Yes, some of us will leave Restoration City to go be a part of planting Grace Hill.  But most of us won’t.  Either way, we can all contribute to the launch team by connecting family or friends in the Herndon/Reston area with Allan and the team he is building.  If you know people in that area who are looking for a church or feel called to church planting, take the initiative to connect them with Allan.
4. Babysit for them.  One of the best things we can do for Allan and Kim is pour into their marriage in this season.  A lot of that is just creating space for them to be together and process all God is doing in this lives.  That’s hard with two kids who are 2 and under.  (C’mon, everything is hard with 2 kids who are 2 and under!)  Taking care of the kids so they can have a date night isn’t just a great gift, it’s a strategic investment in the advance of the gospel.

Let’s work together to make this the best year of Allan and Kim’s ministry – yet!  I pray we find creative ways to pour into this couple and send them out with an amazing foundation to plant and lead a powerful work of God in the suburbs of DC.