Bonus Episode - Spring 2023 - Update

What is going on Port, City, family, and friends?

This is Tanner. I'm here with John who you met

last time? And my man.

Kevin Moore, Kevin say hello to the people one time.

Hello to the people one time, there it is.

Okay, so as you all know trying to keep updates and a manageable

amount of time here and just get you some information.

Also some of our heart where we're at and just let you get to

know us a little bit more and kind of our DNA as a church at

the time that this is being put out.

I mean it's getting real, we're close to moving.

So we're just we're super grateful humbled by generosity

of God's people but also just the prayers of God's people and

how this thing really is just just being breathed out by God

in ways that I really or any of us could have ever imagined.

So really grateful, I wanted to start by just introducing y'all

to Kevin. So Kev you I'm going to give

just a little bio here, man. Make you feel uncomfortable,

encourage you? And then ask your question.

Kevin. You were an elder at are sending

Church 44. How many years to three years?

Four years yeah something like that.

Okay no you got a teenager you got met your son learning to

drive Somebody. Pray for this man.

You got twin girls like me, which is awesome.

I got another son. So Full House been in the

business world for a little bit. You just a man, Kev thankful to

have you on the team. You are an elder airport city.

Come on website official. Yeah, yeah, here's back man.

Thankful for you, you're super gifted leader.

You love God's people. Great Shepherd and love his

word. And so man, just honored to have

you here man. Can you just tell the people

little bit about yourself right quick?

Who is Kevin Moore? What's your middle name Floyd?

Come on boy that's on the spot that's out there now cave maybe

I am the second so it was a time when I A little bit embarrassed

by Florida. Probably, I'm still now just a

little bit. It's not it's not super common

but it is a family name and I'm named after my dad who also is

he Kevin Floyd Kevin Flynn more? Yes, I'm the second.

You're a junior. I'm not a junior.

Wait, I am out of the second. They didn't want me to be called

Junior, but that's great. That they did to me.

Like you are a Jew, he's Kevin Floyd more to I'm the second.

The Second Kevin. Let's start calling him the same

fun. Okay, I'm just kidding, man.

I'll call you that. That's awesome.

Yeah, Merida Megan for man, let's say you'll be 20 years and

wow 20:25. That's awesome.

So we're getting there. Praise God.

You said four kids. So I'll talk about the girls got

Eli twelve-year-old, right there in the Middle.

Come on. So, just love baseball Growing

Up. So something I was interested in

I've been in the business world you know a while.

Yeah so yeah just thankful to know you guys been able to serve

alongside y'all for a few years now and look forward to continue

that in Norfolk. Let's to me.

You're the man bro. Maybe you could just tell the

people what degree you don't have, you know what I mean?

Like I mean you got a Bachelor's you got a masters of divinity.

You will Master business. Hmm.

I mean come on man. Man, I don't have nearly the

degrees of coolness that you got tell me.

That's what I don't know. Sideways.

I'm gonna, I don't, I'm just kidding man.

So I mean in a real serious way like why are you planting a

church? Maybe somebody listening right

now is here like, man, this guy couple years shy, being married,

20 years. He's got a teenager, that's a

unique. Maybe just some like demographic

to be making a move like this. That's a big move.

It's a lot on your kids. But yeah.

Just give us a little back story.

How you got to this moment? Like why why?

Plant a church. Why Norfolk?

Like yeah yeah so that's a great question.

And one that you know I get funny looks you know until the

early church yeah it's not normal.

You know by God's grace were thankful that we really are we

really feel confident that God has called us to it.

Yeah so that's probably a swear I won't start.

It's just a call you know I know also that you know you Guess

I've shared a lot about just in general.

Why plant a church? So we would affirm all those

that the church is that means through which God is going to

reach the world that, you know, God is creating a family people

and that people's called to go in to share and to make

disciples. And so yeah, we just, we believe

in God's plan through the church, you know, he's placed

church planting on our hearts for some time.

So when I went to Seminary long time ago kind of felt like that

was what God was calling us to and just you know we never

really had the opportunity. I should say we didn't have the

opportunity. Certainly did have the

opportunity but just didn't feel called to certain places.

So the Lord has woven our hearts with this team with you guys in

particular. And, you know, really for us I

remember when we sat down and talked the first time Just got

to a point where man, if it's not now, then when and so, you

know, Norfolk for us, made a lot of sense.

So, you know, I could go into that but, you know, really just

felt like the timing of our life really made the most sense.

Even though our kids are little bit older, felt like going.

Now in some ways, although they are older, you know, can be

difficult. But we also see some opportunity

in that as well too. Be as faithful as we can be in

obeying, whatever God calls us to do.

And hoping that, you know, that might be helpful for them as

they grow their relationship with Christ.

They're not all saved yet. They're not all in Christ.

That's our desire and but you know, as they by God's grace,

hopefully they come to Faith, they desire to walk with him and

they'll believe that, you know, he's worth it no matter what any

whenever he calls where he calls That the best answer is.

Yes. Lord, come on.

It's great man. Yeah, I think even for somebody

out there listening like, you know, maybe church planting is

not in your journey right now. But in a lot of ways, everybody

knows this. But the big steps we take are

always just a culmination of the type of person we become, you

know, like who we've cultivated ourselves into by God's grace,

you know, Fallen him day by day in the mundane there's nothing A

cool about the leap we're taking, you know, for you Kevin.

There's a lot of our conversations you have with the

kids. There's exciting days or sad

days are hard days. There's logistical days.

So yeah and and I just want some people don't even know this like

when we say they're coming and he's helping us lead like you're

not getting paid by Port City Church, you know, like you're

getting a job. You know, you'll have multiple

vocations, which leading this is one of them.

But not, not because you're getting paid for it.

So man, that's just that's just huge that that you want to be a

obedient and that and justly God's people, how can our people

who are listening right now, be praying for your family in

particular for. Yeah.

Thanks Matt, I really appreciate that cover your prayers.

I am looking for a job. So that's, you know, the thing

that's on my mind the most and then, as we look to transition,

hopefully the Lord answers that prayer sooner than later.

We'd love to be there sometime, you know, early summer so mid

Universo or early July something like that but the job Domino.

You know it really needs to fall in order to make that feasible

and then just trying to have wisdom about how to lead our

family. Well schools or big deal, you

know, trying to figure out where kids are going to go.

We think we have, you know, a little bit of direction on that.

But you know, that it's something that we want to

continue to be open handed with should the Lord, you know, want

to see your senator. The different direction.

And then just wisdom making decisions about houses and, you

know, those sorts of things, selling house, buying a house

where to buy the house and so forth.

So and then the last piece is just, you know, we're leaving

people here, family friends. You know, mainly families, what

comes to mind but certainly friends, as well, it's going to

be hard on them, you know, it's gonna be hard on us too, for

sure, but just pray that, you know, our relationships with.

Didn't even as we go away in some ways, you know.

Yeah. Just that the Lord would be

faithful to to help us to love people.

Well from from a different city, it's good.

Thank you man. Yeah you know as I think about

you out there listener just wanted to thank everybody just

kind of a huge moment. Late late spring here getting in

the spring we're about to be moving and just want to want to

say thank you. You know, a lot, A lot has gone

on since our last update by God's grace and we get better

and better at at these updates, in addition to just text him and

just just being a touch of you guys, but now a lot has gone on.

And, you know, we were able to do one of my favorite memories

recently with the team was a you know the launch conference was a

big deal for us where we just kind of like pulled our whole

team together and had basically like a retreat.

We can kind of I'd we did a lot of training, a lot of fellowship

and what What this season of residency and what y'all

generosity specifically for me is allowed to happen.

Is like, I've been able to set my my time and my priorities on

like cultivating our team relationally, and in the things

we need to know, be able to do. And yeah, let's just kind of

happen the time set aside together to work through some

things to help our team being a good spot as we look to move.

So really the health of Port City in a lot of ways is Is

linked to y'all's provision without without being able to

set that up side of time that time aside, amen.

Somebody I don't think we'd be where we are.

Yeah, that conference really was pretty special, man, get into

that with y'all and everybody being there.

So, thank you guys so much. And John, can you hit us with an

update of like this? Where is Port City right now?

And then I'll hit some prayers. Well, without further Ado, It Is

by God. Is Grace that we have 16 adult

coming to Norfolk with the exact me.

I remember the time it was just 516 adult 16 adults.

It's amazing. Didn't think, you know, we'd be

there. But we prayed and we asked.

Yeah, the Lord is doing. He did, but less you think we're

done. We also have 14 kids coming with

us, so 16 to 14 at do the math. Yeah.

Yeah. Third a baby.

So we have hit, you know, the 30 markets, awesome, 30 people

totally own team. And so we're just really, really

in all of like What the Lord Has Done and team that he is a

symbol right now. Instead of just really excited

about what what he's going to do in the city of Norfolk, not just

through us, but around us in us, and all in between.

Yeah, so the next thing I'm like, man, we're raising money

for stuff right now. Like so we're thinking we've got

our eyes ahead for launching a service and starting.

We thinking, you know, 2024 publicly but we'll be meeting

together as we hit the ground and just, you know, some of the

some of the things that it takes to get that done.

I sound equipment, you know, and just just the typical setup,

you'd see it a church plant that stuff just Cost money, so we're

raising money for that. So yeah, just that's kind of

where we are with just the supporters aside of that and the

people side of that. But yeah, where everything is

looking amazing. We've been so amazed at how the

Lord has provided already. Yeah, so awesome.

Some quick, just prayer request updates.

We're still praying to be 40%. Just non-anglo when we go

public. So, to John's point will be

public January of 2024 will start Gathering, you know.

Late this summer maybe even you know August will be on a Rec

Center or wherever it is in the city in a more kind of invite

only way real organic and then go public in January.

But yeah the city's majority-minority City really is

a Melting Pot in a lot of ways and our team right now is

starting to you know Finding houses and where your geography

is, dictates different demographics but in a lot of

ways, the city is really a Melting Pot and And we talked

about where you live work, and play a lot in those things begin

to who you live with, who you work with week who you play

with, you're going to be around a lot of people, not like you.

So we want to be as reflective of that as early as much as

possible as early as possible, a big prayer were praying for

right now is a third generation disciple.

So, if you're listening just put that in context.

Let's say we lead somebody named Jim Bob to Faith, okay?

And then Jim Bob leads, Dwayne to Faith.

Well, Dwayne would be the third generation disciple.

So like we Have in mind by January.

We would love to have lead someone to Faith who is leading

someone to say. So I'd be a Norfolk native

leading another Norfolk native to Faith.

What? That and it just gets us excited

like what would the jimbob need to know love and be able to do

and say in order to lead a Dwayne to face, that means we're

training in a certain way, we've got a certain culture going and

so that gets us fired up. We're also just praying for the

first like Norfolk couple to jump in.

In like, you know, the second they do things just changed, you

know, and you can't talk about leaving from Greensboro like it.

In some sense, our identity as a launch team will be over just

because they won't share that in the same way a good way in a

good way. Yeah.

And that's the reason we're coming.

So we're excited for them and to John's point of are praying for

stuff. So, the funding at this point,

we're going to be good through three years right now, by God's

grace of just like, operational costs paying for Myself plus a

little bit of part-time staff help and and for space, like to

meet, you know, but stuff is still kind of what we're praying

for us. We appreciate your prayers in

that. Last thing we want to talk about

is we kind of do a who is Port City segment at the end of each

episode. And in that we're just sharing a

little bit of DNA. How we think about things last

time, we talked about up in and out how we're children of God,

siblings in his family and then we're neighbors as well.

So, this week, we want to talk about how the what, What is the

church like, how would we answer it Port City?

What is the church John? Like, what is it?

What is our shortest definition? And kind of sum it up.

We would just say the church is God's family team.

It's just simple as that. You know, teams, they chased

trophies, but families, take pictures.

And we think that we see in the New Testament that there is an

isness, the church is just is it's a thing, it's a people to

family but it's not just a family that just exists for for

the sake of existing of taking pictures and spinning.

I'm together, although all those things do occur, the church

actually has a mission. It has a Fang it's aiming for as

a trophy to chase if you will. Yeah that's given to us by

Christ and that's his mission in the world.

That all, you know, that we would go and make disciples of

all Nations, baptizing them with father, son, Holy Spirit, you

know, teaching them everything that he's commanded us.

So that's our, that's our mission.

That's our trophy is to please him and to live a life worthy of

the Gospel. So when we think the church we

think God's family team. It's kind of like what we would

say. Yeah, Kev, you got anything to

add of like, how does that flush itself out?

That definition like being a family team?

Like, what does that mean to us? Like, how often are we talking

about that? That the church, you know, like

what other kind of things do we say Allah?

Yeah, I think the thing that I really appreciate about family

team is, you know, those two words are really together and

I've heard you say that, you know, the best families, you

know, look like teams best teams about family.

Yeah, I think that there's a lot.

Like that will resonate with a lot of people.

Yeah, I think to, like just thinking about living in the up

in and out life kind of needs both family, antiques good to

really flesh out fully. So yeah, I think family team

with the, with the philosophy of the church that we were talking

about and cultivating just just makes sense.

That's good. Yeah, I mean, it really does.

You know that it's not profound anything, which is shared but it

really does shape a lot of how we think.

Think you know, like when we sit down for a membership interview

with somebody like, we're really inviting somebody to Covenant to

be a part of our family team? You know what I mean?

Like, we're not a we're not like a spiritual place with with

opportunities for, you know, we want you to grow like, but

really, like we're aiming at you belonging, you know, like an end

in contributing. Like all of those identities are

flow from the family team idea and like the Is a people Christ

died for this people and it's as we live with him with one

another and towards our neighbor that that that flushes itself

out. But yeah we do just talk a lot

about how the church is a people.

It's God's family team and it shapes.

A lot of decision-making and ways of thinking and what we're

trying to do in a service, you know, like how we structure

things and what we're praying for for our people.

So that's a little bit, just about who ports.

It is Who We Are, Who were trying to be See how we hold

ourselves accountable to that and to to God's word and just

let you in a little bit on how we think.

Hey, one other question, I've just been asked a lot recently

is just will we have sermons and things like that accessible?

We will it'll be on audio for sure.

We don't know yet about video YouTube or whatever.

We'll see. But it'll be audio some capacity

either on this one or will build some other.

I don't know figure that out. That's for that's for the big

dogs that the John's and Kevin's of the world.

I need somebody to look at that but we'll get it.

We'll get it hooked up. Hey, last thing I love to do is

just pray for all of you. Thank you again so much for what

you do for Port City, every prayer that you lift up on our

behalf. So let me pray for you guys.

Father we love you. God we want to just thank you

for your goodness. Lord and your love for us.

Lord, bringing us into your family team for dying.

Jesus, for us, Lori giving us belonging in a purpose and just

a calling and you to know us. Lord, I pray for the people

listening, you have with people who've had our back who have our

back, who will have our back or praying for us.

God, whether they're seeing a magnet, seeing a picture of us,

thinking of us, or systematically praying for us,

writing down things. Even as we shared on this

podcast, where we thank you for their, their thoughts, their

energy that they're giving towards us and towards your

kingdom. In towards the city of Norfolk

and towards your church expanding?

Lord, would you increase all of our burdens?

For lostness all of our burdens to increase for the cause of

Christ and one of your name to be famous.

Only one life will soon be passed.

Only was done with Christ will last.

And would that just be true of our hearts that we would burn to

see people share in the fellowship with you.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So Lord bless them.

Keep them. Thank you for the your

generosity. Thank you for their prayers and

their partnership in the gospel and we look forward to just

staying in touch with them. We love you and pray this in

Jesus name, amen. God bless you all.

Thank you Steve.