The Dream-Centered Life by Luke Barnett

Author:Luke Barnett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2017-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

DREAM BUSTER FOR JOE

One of the guys I admire for not giving in to dream busters is Joe Martinez. I met Joe when I was serving in California. He had just graduated from a training program in Phoenix, was about to get married, and wanted to be in ministry. Everyone knew he was a man of great integrity, and I liked him a lot. I asked Joe to be part of our team as youth pastor at our church in California. He was excited to join us.

I had just taken the post as senior pastor a few months earlier, and it was a difficult season of transition. I wasn’t feeling strong as a leader and was still trying to appease people when I should have stood by my principles. Some parents complained about the direction of the youth group, and in my inexperience I panicked. I called Joe in and said, “I’ve got to make a change in the youth program. I’ve got so many parents complaining. I can’t afford to keep you on full time.” There really weren’t that many, but the ones who were complaining were problem people, and I wanted to try to make them happy. Bad idea.

Joe’s response was amazing. “I feel called here,” he said. “I’ll work for free. I didn’t come for the salary. I came because this is part of my dream.”

Stunned, I offered to pay him half his previous salary to take another position. He cheerfully stayed on, shifted duties, and raised up a very strong young-adults program in the church. He became one of the top three decision makers in that church. Joe was a tremendous example to me even though he was below me on the organizational chart. He wasn’t a hireling—he was a man who knew his God-given dream and calling.

One day after I had returned to Phoenix, Joe called.

“I feel like God is calling me to work with you in Phoenix,” he said.

I told him, “Please don’t move here if you’re looking for a job. I don’t have any openings, and I can’t create something for you right now. If anything opens up, you’re the first one I’ll call.”

Joe said again, “That’s fine, but I really feel God is calling us to Phoenix. I’m not expecting a job, but I want to come and serve for free in the ministry.”

With his church’s blessing, Joe moved to Phoenix with his family. There was no ministry opportunity, and he took no ministry job. At that time, Mom’s Pantry was just getting off the ground, and we were already serving nine thousand hot meals a week at the Dream Center.

“We need a real general who can lead our food ministries,” I told Angel one day. She mentioned the need for a leader to the couple who had bought and renovated the building for Mom’s Pantry. Joe’s name came up, and it turns out this couple knew Joe and his wife!

“We’ll pay their salary if you bring them on,” this couple said, and so we did.

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