I have officially hit the low spot of church planterdom. 

A few days ago, I found out two good friends are leaving Missio Dei. 

The next day, Magali and Akary (a young woman and her child who have been living with my wife and I for quite some time) secretly moved to California to live with a very abusive man.  It was a surprise, but unsurprising at the same time. They are very important to my wife and I, and it feels like the year or so we’ve been laboring to help them with some very real issues has gone to waste.

And now strike three…The last time I posted here, I was taking a time away from blogging to focus on actualizing the ideas that I believe God has been nurturing within me, rather than spending alot of time writing about them.  Recently, Missio Dei (my church) has been gearing up for some new adventures.  It has been a hope-filled time.  This Sunday, we’re scheduled to begin having our Central Gatherings at Augsburg College–a local college on the West Bank (the area that God has called us to serve). 

Well, today I got this email:

Dear Pastor Mark Van Steenwyk: 

Our understanding was that your Sunday events scheduled at Augsburg College in the East Commons were "meetings".  It appears to be a worship service and according to our college policies we need approval for a worship service from the Board of Regents. 

Because we do not have approval of the Board we cannot host your events on Sunday evenings.  The college will refund in full your payment of $975.00.

We are sorry for the confusion and because of the late notice you are scheduled in the East Commons for Sunday, September 11, 2005 at no charge. 

Again, we are sorry for the confusion.

Craig Maus

To which I replied:

Mr. Maus,

This is incredibly inconvenient for us.  We are a small Baptist General Conference Church with limited resources.  We’ve paid hundreds of dollars for local advertising, have been getting the word out for a month now, and now you tell us, less than one week before our first scheduled meeting, that things cannot go through as we both agreed?

We never misled you in any way.  These upcoming meetings have been set in stone for us and for you to pull out of our agreement would devastate us. If we don’t have any music, can we still use your space for our meetings?  In other words, is there any way you’d recognize us as using the space for meetings rather than a worship service?

Mark Van Steenwyk

This is a huge blow to the gut.  I know the Lord Gives and Takes Away, but I had three very intense experiences of losing something very dear to me in the past several days.  I am at the end of my rope.  I don’t know what God is doing.  I don’t know what all of this means for Missio Dei or for me.  But I am tired and I need God to reveal himself to me in a very clear way or I don’t know what will happen.  Please pray.

About Mark Van Steenwyk

Mark Van Steenwyk is a member of Missio Dei. He is a speaker, writer, educator, and grassroots organizer. With the support of the Central Plains Mennonite Conference, he travels to radical and intentional communities around the country to help network and offer support.