the boaz family: 2016 Christmas Letter: Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Merry Christmas to our friends and family! Thank you for stopping by to catch up with the news of our year – one in which the changes and our calling have caused us to lean on the Savior whom we celebrate at Christmas to trust Him more and more each step of the journey.

The year began as Kevin continued in his year as a “resident church planter” at Cathedral Rock Church and we settled into our rental home. We so enjoyed the winter full of snow storms that had us out sledding, snowshoeing, and even cross country skiing in our own neighborhood! We also appreciated the change of pace in ministry as Kevin prepared for future church plant vision and did some substitute teaching in area schools, while Rachel and the kids continued homeschooling. Naomi and Johnathan finished their year at the Cottage School at The Classical Academy, where they attended once a week as a supplement to their homeschool work.

In the spring we began to look ahead to the next step in church planting. We identified the east Powers corridor of Colorado Springs as the area to which we felt called to plant the church. We began house hunting with the hopes of moving into that area. In June, we closed on a home in Stetson Hills and moved for the third time in less than a year! Kevin also spent the spring looking for a part-time position that would supplement our church-planting support and provide a place to be involved in the community. He was accepted for a part-time PE position at TCA for the 2016-17 school year, so he got to brush off his whistle and lesson plans and go back to his roots as Coach Boaz!

We spent the summer settling into our new home, celebrating birthdays, getting to know neighbors, and preparing for the next stage of planting a new church. With the name “Incline Church” and a vision for disciplemaking in place, we visiting several area EFCA churches who graciously allowed us to invite people to join us in planting. Over the summer we hosted a BBQ and a series of Bible studies in our new home to meet people who have a heart to help with church planting and share the vision of Incline with them.

In August and into the fall, we saw more big changes as we finished the residency year at Cathedral Rock and began to do outreach in a neighborhood park and preview services at an elementary school here in the Stetson Hills area with the help of the newly-formed launch team. Kevin began teaching PE, and Naomi, Johnathan, and Ezra began to attend TCA full-time in 6^thgrade, 4^thgrade, and Kindergarten at the same campus as Dad!

As we approach Christmas and the end of this year, we can’t help but look back at all the steps in this journey and see how God has been stretching us and helping us to grow in trust in Him. Here are just a few of the many answers to prayer and ways He’s been so, so faithful in 2016…

Providing the support we needed for our residency year, both financially through gifts from so many individuals, and through the support and wisdom from pastors and leaders at Cathedral Rock, Faith EFC, Austin Bluffs EFC, Cornerstone EFC, and the EFCA Rocky Mountain District

Providing a rental home that was “just right” for our family, with a flexible ending to the lease so we could house-hunt.

Providing our new home in Stetson Hills, which fits our family perfectly and provides an ideal space for the many church gatherings and trainings we’ve hosted here. We feel so blessed to watch the stars or stare at beautiful Pikes Peak from our deck, plant a little garden, tuck the kids into their new bedrooms at night, and see this home filled with family and new friends.

Providing Kevin with a great position at a school with lots of kindergarten through second graders who make sure he never has a dull moment at work.

Providing spots for Naomi, Johnathan, and Ezra at the same school where Dad is teaching, which made for a smoother transition from homeschool to full-time school at the public charter school. We’ve been so thankful for the teachers they were placed with who have been so supportive in helping them adjust to the change in school life, too.

For our kids and how they’ve walked through this period of big changes with courage and enthusiasm. Naomi and Johnathan have been making friends at school and at Incline, as well as discovering and developing their own passions for serving. Naomi was a huge help with taking care of the young kids who filled our basement this summer for Incline trainings. And she has LOVED joining the newly-formed youth group for Incline! Johnathan continues to enjoy going to church early with Dad to help set up for preview services. Ezra has settled into his half-day Kindergarten class, making friends and enthusiastically working at learning to read. Abby is a vivacious 4 year old who has been learning her pre-K work at home and keeps Mommy company while the others are at school. She helps her run errands for the church regularly (turns out there are a lot of things to shop for when you are planting a brand-new church and hosting neighborhood outreaches!).

For surrounding our family with an amazing launch team, full of people who simply have a passion for making disciples and following Christ as they pour their time, talent, and treasure into starting a new church. We’ve been amazed at how God has put a team together who fill in exactly what is needed at a new church – sound, set-up and technology volunteers, teachers and nursery workers, people gifted in hospitality, and even a couple with a passion to disciple our youth. God has also used so many people and churches to provide all the “stuff” we’ve needed for Incline – sound equipment, staging décor, nursery gear, curriculum, coffee and donuts…. The list goes on and on!! We are so thankful for the team and all that has been provided as we prepare to launch to meeting weekly in January.

Each of these blessings represents something that grew our trust in our Savior, step by step. God has so faithfully provided what we’ve needed, at just the time we’ve needed it. As He has used so many of you, our friends and family, to provide for our family and the birth of Incline. Thank you to all of you who have a part in this journey, and please continue to pray for us and for Incline Church as we begin to gather weekly in January and work to impact our community for Christ in 2017 as God allows the opportunity.

In Him,

The Boaz Family

Kevin, Rachel, Naomi, Johnathan, Ezra, and Abigail

For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21

Feel free to browse the blog, though I (Rachel) am WAY behind in updating it… I’ll keep chipping away at it, though!