When the Lord Grows Something
When the Lord Grows Something
There are moments when something shifts.
You’ve prayed about it. You’ve talked through it. You’ve tried to put language around it. But it still feels … distant. It's not in front of you. It feels like something is lurking in your peripheral vision, but God is holding your gaze fixed forward. You haven't been given permission to fully acknowledge it yet.
And then, at some point, it changes.
For us, that moment came during our Core Team Vision Night.
As I looked around the room, I wasn’t just seeing a gathering of people whom I love. I was seeing faces. Stories. Years of relationships. Some from Evergreen Church, some from outside, but all of them people God has used in meaningful ways in my life and in the life of many others. And in that moment, it hit me: God was bringing these people together, not by accident, but for something new.
That’s when it started to feel real. That's when the Lord allowed my gaze to fully shift to what HE was growing before me.
There was a weight in the room that night. Not heavy in a discouraging way, but in the kind of way you feel when you know something matters. There were tears. Actually, many tears. We were in the midst of real, unforced moments where it was clear the Spirit of God was stirring hearts. Not just around an idea, but around a calling. A sense that what we are stepping into is going to require something from us. At the same time, that God intends to use it to shape lives, strengthen families, and reach people in ways we can’t fully see yet.
Verdant stopped being something we were talking about that night. It became something we are now walking into. Something God was bringing to life.
The word “verdant” means flourishing, full of life, growing, healthy. That’s the picture we keep coming back to. Because we believe that when the gospel takes deep root in a person’s life, it produces exactly that kind of fruit. Not surface-level change, but real transformation. A life that is steadily formed by Christ, shaped through His Word, and lived out in everyday faithfulness. Our core team consists of people who have lived this way. And now they are excited for the Lord to use them to help others in our city experience the same thing.
That’s the kind of church we believe God is calling us to plant.
Not built on hype or personality, but on depth. A place where people don’t just attend, but are discipled. Where Scripture isn’t skimmed, but taken seriously. Where relationships aren’t shallow, but intentional and life-giving. Where families are strengthened, and where people are equipped to live on mission wherever God has placed them.
We’re not starting something new just to start something new. We’re responding to what we believe God is asking us to build.
And if you’re reading this, I want to say that plainly: I don’t believe you’re here by accident.
From the beginning, this has never been about one person or even a small team. It’s about a people that God is calling together. And the question isn’t just what is Verdant going to be? The question is who is God calling to be part of it?
For some of you, that starts with prayer. Before anything is established, before systems or structures are in place, we want to be a praying people. We need men and women who will faithfully ask God to move, to guide, and to do what only He can do.
For others, it will mean giving. Church planting requires sacrifice, and your generosity becomes part of the foundation that allows this to move forward.
And for some, it will mean going. Stepping into the unknown, joining the launch team, and helping build something from the ground up. That takes commitment. It takes faith. It takes a willingness to be part of something before it’s fully formed.
I want to be clear ... we’re not asking for casual interest. We’re asking you to seek the Lord and respond in obedience to whatever He is leading you to do.
Because what we are stepping into will take all of us.
If you want to explore what that looks like, we’d love to help you take a next step. You can learn more, fill out a launch team form, or find ways to begin praying and giving at www.verdant.church
We really do believe the best is ahead. Not because of anything we’ve put together, but because of what God does through a people who are fully surrendered to Him.
And after that night, I can say this with more confidence than ever:
It’s already beginning.
The Lord is growing something.
Will he call you to be a part of it?
— Pastor AJ and the Verdant Team
You’ve prayed about it. You’ve talked through it. You’ve tried to put language around it. But it still feels … distant. It's not in front of you. It feels like something is lurking in your peripheral vision, but God is holding your gaze fixed forward. You haven't been given permission to fully acknowledge it yet.
And then, at some point, it changes.
For us, that moment came during our Core Team Vision Night.
As I looked around the room, I wasn’t just seeing a gathering of people whom I love. I was seeing faces. Stories. Years of relationships. Some from Evergreen Church, some from outside, but all of them people God has used in meaningful ways in my life and in the life of many others. And in that moment, it hit me: God was bringing these people together, not by accident, but for something new.
That’s when it started to feel real. That's when the Lord allowed my gaze to fully shift to what HE was growing before me.
There was a weight in the room that night. Not heavy in a discouraging way, but in the kind of way you feel when you know something matters. There were tears. Actually, many tears. We were in the midst of real, unforced moments where it was clear the Spirit of God was stirring hearts. Not just around an idea, but around a calling. A sense that what we are stepping into is going to require something from us. At the same time, that God intends to use it to shape lives, strengthen families, and reach people in ways we can’t fully see yet.
Verdant stopped being something we were talking about that night. It became something we are now walking into. Something God was bringing to life.
The word “verdant” means flourishing, full of life, growing, healthy. That’s the picture we keep coming back to. Because we believe that when the gospel takes deep root in a person’s life, it produces exactly that kind of fruit. Not surface-level change, but real transformation. A life that is steadily formed by Christ, shaped through His Word, and lived out in everyday faithfulness. Our core team consists of people who have lived this way. And now they are excited for the Lord to use them to help others in our city experience the same thing.
That’s the kind of church we believe God is calling us to plant.
Not built on hype or personality, but on depth. A place where people don’t just attend, but are discipled. Where Scripture isn’t skimmed, but taken seriously. Where relationships aren’t shallow, but intentional and life-giving. Where families are strengthened, and where people are equipped to live on mission wherever God has placed them.
We’re not starting something new just to start something new. We’re responding to what we believe God is asking us to build.
And if you’re reading this, I want to say that plainly: I don’t believe you’re here by accident.
From the beginning, this has never been about one person or even a small team. It’s about a people that God is calling together. And the question isn’t just what is Verdant going to be? The question is who is God calling to be part of it?
For some of you, that starts with prayer. Before anything is established, before systems or structures are in place, we want to be a praying people. We need men and women who will faithfully ask God to move, to guide, and to do what only He can do.
For others, it will mean giving. Church planting requires sacrifice, and your generosity becomes part of the foundation that allows this to move forward.
And for some, it will mean going. Stepping into the unknown, joining the launch team, and helping build something from the ground up. That takes commitment. It takes faith. It takes a willingness to be part of something before it’s fully formed.
I want to be clear ... we’re not asking for casual interest. We’re asking you to seek the Lord and respond in obedience to whatever He is leading you to do.
Because what we are stepping into will take all of us.
If you want to explore what that looks like, we’d love to help you take a next step. You can learn more, fill out a launch team form, or find ways to begin praying and giving at www.verdant.church
We really do believe the best is ahead. Not because of anything we’ve put together, but because of what God does through a people who are fully surrendered to Him.
And after that night, I can say this with more confidence than ever:
It’s already beginning.
The Lord is growing something.
Will he call you to be a part of it?
— Pastor AJ and the Verdant Team
Posted in Church Plant
No Comments