Many people have asked, "What are you guys doing?" Well, we hope to answer that now. We apologize if our answer has seemed vague at times. We just haven’t been able to say directly. There was much in process.
We feel that there are three areas that we are to invest in this next season. Ten Thousand Homes, creative arts, and resourcing leaders in Christ centered initiatives.
As you know we took a sabbatical and much needed time of rest in 2010. We were very confident that this was what we were to do and very grateful for a team and staff that allowed us to do it. The sabbatical was an invaluable time. Much work was done in each of us. We have a much deeper understanding of identity and individual dreams as well as a renewed purpose as we move forward. We believe with out a doubt that God uses sabbatical times! It is not all about us, but what God wants to do. Coming away from that time we are more confident than ever that the Creator is living and active all around us.
Ten Thousand Homes
In 2011, we began the process of re-engaging with Ten Thousand Homes. It has been a much longer process than we planned, but the time was needed and we believe that the outcome is going to prove to be well worth it. The most important part for us was to show the team in Africa our appreciation for all they had done in our absence. For that reason, it was important that we took our time and did not come in and change everything, creating shock waves. We had to re-define our role, as many of the things we were doing in the past were being done well.
We are now back in defined roles with Ten Thousand Homes. Together, as founders, we see our role is to continue to invest into the staff, to continue to share the heart of Ten Thousand Homes encouraging the new leaders as it grows. Jeremy will serve in a global leadership capacity with vision/pioneering into new areas, Jen will serve in communications/storytelling as a Communications Director. We are very excited about this new season. We have more passion than ever!
Creative Arts
In 2011 we each took our pursuit of the creative arts to a new level. Jen with photography and Jeremy with music/songwriting. These are very much a part of who we are and will continue to be a part of our future. Jen has a real passion to tell the stories of God through a camera. Many of you remember the “photo of the day” that she used to do.
2011 was a year of dreams coming true. Jen traveled to India to photograph the story of Hope’s Gate serving the poorest of the poor. Jen longs to continue to tell these stories, for Ten Thousand Homes and many others serving the ones who need it most. For Jeremy, 2011 was a time for dreams becoming reality as well. After years of writing songs he was able to produce his first solo project. After it was finished we knew that it was only the beginning. He is currently working on two more recording projects.
Resourcing Leaders
The first few years of our marriage we had the privilege to work with a team leading Discipleship Training programs. We look back on that time with the best of memories. The passion to invest in people that they may do incredible things for the cause of Christ was birthed in us during that period. It has done nothing but grow.
In this next season we will intentionally invest in a small group of leaders doing Christ centered initiatives throughout the world. While Ten Thousand Homes will be a large focus and we will thoroughly invest in it's leaders, we will have a group outside of Ten Thousand Homes that we believe in.
This may look different in each place and relationship. This will include artists, missionaries, entrepeneurs. With a fervor for Christ centered community, we will spend much time with young leaders forming intentional communities centered around active works of justice, prayer, and worship in the nations.
What we do does not define us, it draws us together.
We are not trying to get too deep here. And we are surely not trying to confuse things, but we feel that it's important to communicate something that we have found deeply profound in this season.
We long to BE a family used of God. We long to BE an excuse for God to BE a father to the fatherless. We long to BE a friend to the lonely. We long to BE justice. We long to love and BE loved. We long for Christ in us to BE the hope of glory.
When we communicate different areas of focus, some may be confused. Are you artists, pastors, entrepeneurs, missionaries? And the simple answer is yes.
We feel that what we do does not define us, any of us, but these endeavors can unite us under the life changing name of Christ. We are very aware that it might be simpler to communicate one thing very well. And while we are looking for people to join us in Ten Thousand Homes, we are also looking for people to walk with our family in a unique story and calling, together, living a story of beauty, hope, justice, and love.
For this very reason we don’t have a salary. We believe in and champion voluntary missions and mutual-communal support. We are part of a global community called YWAM, with a goal to know God and make Him known. As such there is not a single staff member within the global YWAM community who receives a salary.
We want to express our overwhelming gratitude to those of you have walked with us over the last 16 years. We invite you into this next season as we seek to empower marginalized communities around the world with the hope of the gospel.
-Jeremy, Jen, Joshua, Emma Grace
