In about 8 months, our family of 6 will be buying a home in Oklahoma City. What’s taking us there is not the pursuit of a house but the pursuit of planting a church. We are already meeting people in the OKC Metro area and sharing with others our hopes for what we will be doing. In those conversations, we are hearing a lot of questions. If I am honest, there are a lot of questions that we simply don’t know how to answer. But there are a few things that we do know.

Here’s what we know:

1. We love OKC. Oklahoma Sooners, OKC Thunder, wind and rain, Midtown, Wheeler, the Space Needle(long live), the lights in Chickasha and eating & shopping local. Oh, and “In Russ We Trust.”
2. We will be starting a church in the OKC Metro. I graduated from high school 8 years ago and found myself in a place similar to where many I have talked with have found themselves at one time or another: a place of needing new scenery. I have spent the last 8 years away from OKC and the last 2 doing what I could to get back. What I am finding lately is that more and more people genuinely love OKC and don’t want to go anywhere. Of course you have the occasional crazy person who doesn’t, but generally speaking there is a love and pride in our state.
3. The “who” of this church. This church will be started by a team of broken people. People who have experienced the grace that the world and the people of OKC are desperately seeking. You and I work really hard to keep our lives in tact and looking nice. Let’s be honest, though- we are a mess. This world has no need for a church that caters to our futile attempts of being perfect. This church will seat the sinner and the saint, the pharisee and the prodigal, the republican and democrat, the single mother and the orphan. The people who make up this church will sit in circles with people unlike them in every way. This church will strive for equality and grace while pushing people towards fulfillment in Jesus. We will sing loud and have fun!
4. We. can’t. wait. We’ve hoped for this for a long time. I’ve been to Disney World 3 times in the last 10 years and even that doesn’t touch the anticipation of moving to OKC.
5. We want to connect with you. We want you to be part of this team. We want to meet you and we want you to meet us. We also need your story. Maybe you are from a crazy background. Maybe you can relate to two of our children who we adopted. Maybe you deal every single day with the affects of being rejected by someone who you care deeply about. Maybe you deal with anger towards a “loving God” who allowed something really tragic to happen in your life.

Here’s what we want from you:

1. We are putting our team together now. If you are interested in hearing more about this church or are simply interested in connecting with us, fill out the form below and let us know how to get in touch with you!
2. If you do have a story of something you have faced in your life and you are willing to share, whether that be 30 years ago or a week ago, would you let us hear that? Your story could help someone in huge ways. It will also give us an idea of the reality of the experiences others have faced. If you need help with what comment to leave, just finish this sentence: “I was angry at God when ________.” We also commit to praying for you in your current pain or rejoicing with you in the healing you have experienced since then. You may submit your story anonymously. Your name and information are not required. We will not do anything with your story without full permission and anything you choose to share will be kept private. Our hope and motive for this is to understand and to listen.