GlocalNet

At our 20th Anniversary, I totally departed from my sermon--which is why I posted it on my blog. I started out about talking about our DNA and what had been passed down to us through Paul, St. Francis, John Freeman and Noah T. Byers, Texas Rangers and church planters extraordinaire from which our church descended!
As I was talking about all of that, six of the seven most significant women in my life were in that service and I had each one stand and thank them for what they had brought to the table for me and our church.
Carol Childress — one of the smartest researchers I’ve ever known who has worked with Leadership Network and the Baptist Convention early on watched out for me like a big sister. She would introduce me to people she thought I should know and inform me about things that mattered in the ministry that I should be thinking about and giving attention to. She was a gatekeeper for me and the ministry at NorthWood. It was because of her I met Rick Warren and Thom Wolfe and lots of other people who have massively shaped my life.
Carol Davis — the first person to help NorthWood understand missions and how it should be seamless in the church. She defined and has continued to model “glocal ” for me. Over the years, and most of the time for nothing especially when we used to be so broke, Carol would fly out and help us with our children’s ministry, small group ministry, and especially our missions ministry. I quote her often.
Linda Stanley — works with Leadership Network and has been a part of a learning community NorthWood and I have been a part of. Because of her, Bob Buford and Leadership Network, they helped us move from planting a couple of churches a year to ten a year in addition to the establishment of GlocalNet.
Johnnie Morgan — what an incredible blessing to NorthWood and to me personally. I come in like a whirlwind with 3000 things going on and she has the ability to stay calm, focused, and keep me and all that’s going on prioritized. She loves God and reminds my children of my mother. They’re both Mississippi women--and class acts.
Jill Roberts--my daughter. She loves God and has continued to walk with him consistently. Though publicly quiet, she is in reality the loudest of all of us and the most compassionate. She has never been anything but a blessing and a joy to Nikki and me. As she spends her last year at home, she’s preparing to work globally in some field of education.
Nikki Roberts — my wife. Has been faithful to me, God, and this church. She’s had the ability to let criticism of me roll off her back without taking it personal which isn’t an easy thing for a pastor’s wife to do. She’s developed her own ministries with church planters wives and overseas work. My wife is a class act. More than anything, she’s been a part of a wild journey with me. She’s never held me back or discouraged me from doing anything God wanted me to. She isn’t afraid of the risk and challenges.
Gaye Roberts --my Mom. Though she wasn’t there, she emulates everything of Jesus I could ever hope to be. I am what I am because of her.
I recognized those women--and kept on going. After the service was over it hit me, they were the only people I personally had stand--and they were all women. Wow! How grateful I am to them. How much I value each one of them. They all know my weakness, warts, and challenges and, yet, they still believe in me. Thank you God for 7 fantastic women who have impacted my life