LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH | email: info@LIFE-Community.com | phone: 336.854.5433 | Copyright © 2004 - 2012
church
A CONVERSATION WITH Pastor Jesse Wilson
on staff since 2001
Fresh out of seminary, Pastor Jesse just knew he and wife Melinda were going to be in missions as church planter apprentices. They'd gone trhough all rigorous testing with the North American Missions Board, so when Jesse was approached about pastoring a small church in Lebanon, Va., his response was a polite, but unambiguous "no thank you."
"The very next day, we discovered that the North American Missions Board was out of money," Pastor Jesse says. "We looked at each other and said, 'Hmmmmm'"
While disconcerting at the time, Pastor Jesse laughs today, realizing God had a funny way of letting them in on His plans. A few days later, the church called again to ask if they were sure they wouldn't consider it.
"I said, 'Well .... (dramatic pause) I think we might,'" he says, laughing.
Truth be told, one of the reasons they wanted to be church planters was to avoid the problems often inherent in established churches. That first church Lebanon, Va.? Established in 1875, Pastor Jesse says with a chuckle.
Humor comes naturally to Pastor Jesse, who jokes that his title, other than Pastor of Disciplship, is Pastor of Announcements.
Wit is but one tool Pastor Jesse uses to uncomplicate messages. When teaching, he might us a movie clip or word picture to help the audience grasp a passage and connect with their Heavenly Father.
"Too many people, when they picture God, He is always frowning at them, but that's not what the Bible says is true. On our own, he'd be frowning, but because we're covered by the righteousness of Christ, he loves us and accepts us."
After serving as Senior Pastor for 12 years, Pastor Jesse joined LCC in 2001, as the Pastor of Discipleship. His focus is on developing strategies that help people grow in their relationship with Christ.
"That's the heartbeat of my ministry, to resource people for growth, to give them the tools, the perspectives, the encouragement, to be all they can for Christ.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOU?
STRATEGIC - MULTITRACKING - CONTEMPLATIVE"
FAMILY - Wife - Melinda
children - Jessica and son-in-law Michael, Jordan, Melody (Pet: Jake the Jack Russell)
HOBBIES - Fishing; his iPhone; iPad, watching people exercise; technology; reading
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU - In his first wedding ceremony, Pastor Jake married Jesse and Melinda ("He did a great job even after wrecking his car on the way to the wedding.") Another little known fact: Long before he was delivering punchlines, he, as a teenager, boxed for a club league in his hometown.)
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU WITH PRAYER?
"Pray that God would give me the wisdom to know the right things to do and the ability to do them right."
TO THE CONGREGATION - “We need to live in the principle of the next step. To realize that we have not arrived in any area of our life. We can’t get content. Whenever you get comfortable, that’s when you lose joy and power for living. Part of my role is to challenge that there are greater possibilities, and that there’s something more none of us have discovered, and we need to keep moving forward and trusting God to show us.”
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I HAVE COME THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE ... JOHN 10:10
FAVORITE SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 4: 11-13
