The Greatest Privilege (For the Ladies)(and the Men)

Steve and Debra Sudworth, along with their 2 girls, Rebecca and Hannah, arrived in Chicago in May 2004 in obedience to God’s call to church plant. They have been leading Church in the City (www.churchinthecity.us) since then. Their son - Cade - was born 2 years into the plant. 

Looking back on over the last 7 years, I cannot but marvel at the goodness of our God or  ignore that our God is a Church Planting God.

We have been a part of New Covenant Ministries for 15 years now and yes, church planting is one of our values – but our God is a Church Planting God. It is on His heart. When He calls – He comes through…time after time. Steve and I can truly testify with absolute conviction that Jesus builds His church. It is most definitely the case for Church in the City. Deut 1:6 says ⁶ The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. ⁷ Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. ⁸ See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

We can see from this scripture that the timeless Heart of God is to break ground and advance.

We can also see from this scripture that God initiates and God commissions.

It may be simple but my belief and experience is that surely our Great Shepherd has a specific “land” for us to take possession of and shepherd His sheep. God is not in the dark. He is involved so intimately in our lives and knows that there is a nation/state/community of believers that need the gifts and abilities that He has placed in us for such a time as this.

Chicago is that place for our family. God knew that there were people here that were going to respond to the gifts and abilities that He has placed in us.

In 2004 when we arrived here, I knew that my God had called us, all of us to be here. Becca (6 at the time) and Hannah (5) never for a moment questioned why we moved away from every friend and family member they had ever known. They never questioned why they had to sleep on someone else’s couch for two weeks and then on the floor for two months while we saved enough money to buy them a bed. They never questioned why they did not have any friends or why 20 adults were at their birthday parties and not 20 of their friends.  They were SO excited and totally sold out for why and what God had called us to. Steve and I never had to convince or persuade. God had placed something in them, He had prepared them for the changes and challenges ahead. They also saw that their parents were absolutely convinced of the call, convinced God had spoken and that brought rest to our home – even with only $1800 dollars to our name and no place to stay, we were at peace because God had called. We were not only at peace we were HAPPY! Happy to picnic on the floor, happy to walk everywhere, happy to buy minimal groceries because we were in Chicago!!! Only God could have brought us here – from a tiny town in South Africa to Chicago!  Soon, we began to see the Hand of God fulfill and bring to reality the dreams and visions that had filled our hearts with for so many years before. What was just a promise that we had nurtured, like a baby in the womb, was birthed. For some reason, God had chosen us to love His people, the ones that He sings over, the ones Jesus intercedes for, He had entrusted to us. The Greatest Privilege.

I don’t want to pretend that there have not been tough times.  There have been struggles. There have been challenges.  There have been tears. But through it all, God has been faithful. I don’t want to talk about the struggles that we have had because they will always be different for different people. But I do like to talk about the future and the lessons Steve and I have learned:

1.     Husbands – please let your wife know that you love her more than you love the church – don’t presume she knows….

2.     Wives – find your security in God and not in the your husband

3.     Husbands – find the balance between family and church – create and stick to boundaries

4.     Wives – give grace

5.     Husbands – create room for your wife

6.     Wives – don’t hide behind your husband or children. You are called as much as he is – it may not be in the same role but church needs your giftings.

7.     Husbands /wives – BE FOUND IN GOD – don’t let ministry replace your first love! Never forget that it is first you and God – the river will stop flowing if there is no intimacy between you and God.

8.     Husbands/wives – Don’t spend time with God purely and only to hear Him for the church or for people – continue to deepen your relationship with Him because He is King.

9.     Moms – Don’t build your lives around your children, build around the King and His Kingdom.

Debra Sudworth