Announcement

We have some pretty big news to announce here at The Porch/ 141-NYC. Many of you know this already, but if you don't I'm sure it will come as a bit of a surprise. Our announcement is that we are going to be leaving New York this summer, and we will be moving back to San Diego. There are quite a few reasons for this. Some of them are rather personal, and I'd rather not discuss them in a public forum such as this. But the main reason is pretty simple: family.

Our little family is growing. Kelly and I are expecting our next child in December (yay!), and with that fact comes some big decisions. We have come to the conclusion that it is in our family's best interest if we return to our "roots," so to speak. We need to take the ministry of parenthood with the utmost seriousness, for it is our first and most important ministry. In San Diego we will have the close support and companionship of many friends and family members. Not that we don't have support here in NYC -- but 3,000 miles away is just too far at this point in our lives. We owe it to our kids, plain and simple.

Of course there are other reasons, too. But the primary point I want to make, to all our friends and supporters out there, is that this is not a retreat or a move of desparation. Far from it. We do not consider this venture to be a failure or a bad move. As our dear friend, mentor and fellow pastor Ken Loyd told us when we broke the news - "You guys fought and won." I believe that those words are straight from God himself. Our task in this world is not to be successful by the world's standards. Our task is to be faithful, and if nothing else I can say that we have been faithful in this calling. The Porch has been blessed for its season, and now it is time to move on to another.

Will we continue in our ministry? Of course. It is the air we breathe; we could not be ourselves without it. But I know that there are people in every city that are ignored and shamed. We don't have to stay in NYC to find them. And in San Diego, we will have the logistical support to carry on our ministry without sacrificing our children. Honestly, I can't wait to see what God has planned for us, in the city that we grew up in and know so well. 5 1/2 years ago, we left that city as young and naive dreamers seeking God's heart. Portland and New York have been training grounds for us. I think that we have fought the fight well thus far, and now return to San Diego as different people, capable of far more than we could have ever imagined previously. And to those of you who have supported us financially, know that your contributions will be put to use directly in San Diego. 141-SD will be up and running as soon as we can make it happen.

This is a stressful time for us, so please keep us in your prayers. I am leaving a very stable and well-paying job at Nyack College, and I currently have no job lined up in California. I'll be looking for work primarily in the higher education realm, but I would be open to just about anything at this point, so if you're reading this and have any leads, please let me know. I want to thank everyone who has been following this blog for your support and prayers, and I do hope that you will stay in touch with us as we step off into the next phase of this grand adventure.