Are we crazy?

Probably.

On March 4th 2007, we launched CF Homestead. On March 4th 2008, we will launch CF West Kendall. But CF West Kendall may in fact be our fifth campus in Dade County. (not fourth -- you will hear more this weekend).

With the exciting merger with Central Baptist Church, CF Downtown is becoming a reality. For Downtown, we begin preaching/teaching there next weekend. Some minor facility changes will be taking place soon. And in January, we will launch a second service and our children’s and student worship venues. You can join the Downtown team – pray about it!

And another HUGE announcement awaits this weekend, which will cause some people to think we are in way over our heads…And we are. We are in a position where only God can get the credit, honor, and glory. What a great place to be! But a few important things to know:

-- Our staff and pastors spent an entire year praying and fasting for God’s direction and wisdom. We each had assigned days, so every day throughout the entire year, we were seeking God for His agenda for our church in Miami. God spoke very clearly that we were to spread out across the County.

-- Rick, Sammy, and I spent several days in NYC three years ago writing out prayers and plans for our church. God has answered each prayer to a much greater degree than we asked. And His timetable was faster than ours.

-- Alongside some of our pastors, I penned a strategic plan to spread out across the County (including Downtown and other areas). I shared the plan with multiple groups in our church (I work closely with lay people in areas of personnel and stewardship), and everyone believed we should go for it.

-- I confessed to our Deacons recently that we were biting off a lot. The response? “If we could chew it – It is not from God. It needs to be BIG because our God is BIG.”

So while people may look at our plans for the next several months and call them crazy – I would agree. But they are God’s plans. And I am pumped to be included.