We’re Moving To San Francisco
Almost exactly three years ago, Gabi and I drove out of Baton Rouge and began a new chapter in Dallas, Texas. In a blog post announcing our move in 2013, I mentioned the idea that we typically only realize the end of a chapter when we arrive at the start of the next chapter. That idea is as true today as it was three years ago.
As we drove into DFW in 2013, our hearts were full of equal parts excitement and fear. Excitement for new opportunity, and at the same time, fear that our best days might be in the rearview mirror. Three years later, I couldn’t be more thankful for our time in the metroplex.
In just three short years, our lives have expanded more than we ever could have imagined as we drove that moving truck out of our home town. We built incredible friendships, earned degrees, received promotions, explored our new region, traveled the country, and even welcomed the birth of our son, Luca. To be clear, our time in DFW has truly been the greatest years of our lives. Much like this journey began with a mix of joy and uncertainty, we’re about to step into our next chapter with much of the very same emotions.
We’re convinced it’s the right thing, at the right time, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It means leaving some of the best friends we’ve ever known. It means leaving the greatest boss I’ve ever worked for, a job working alongside the most talented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, at the healthiest church I’ve ever been a part of. Many of our little family’s greatest memories happened in the last three years right here in the middle of the DFW metroplex.
And yet, for more than five years, there’s been a dream in our hearts to be a part of starting a church in the city of San Francisco, and in 2017 we’re stepping into that dream. Not simply to have a building where people show up on Sundays, but to follow the leading of our close friends — Jason & Jennifer Laird — to be a part of growing a genuine community of people seeking to know God and make Him known in the San Francisco bay area.
After years of visiting the city, years of discussions with my boss about the dream in our heart, and years of praying about what a church in the city might look like, the time has come to take the leap and step out of our comfort zone. And so, in January, I’ll transition out of my current role, and with the incredible leadership and support of our Gateway Church family, we’ll step out and start building Sozo Church in San Francisco.
We’ll always have roots in Dallas and Gateway Church, but I’m excited to see what grows out of this new chapter. The best moments in my life usually started with a long list of unknowns. There are a lot of exciting blank pages ahead of us, and we can’t wait to see how things unfold. Please pray for us, come visit, and send BBQ!
Check out sozo.co to learn more about the church!