They knew Pastor wouldn’t like their stealing members from Praise City, but what else could they do? They needed folks they knew and trusted and who knew and trusted them. They also needed folks who believed in their vision. So their first step had been to invite twelve couples and their children to a backyard barbecue. The five couples having dinner with them tonight were the couples from the barbecue that had shown the most enthusiasm and support after hearing their plans. Tonight he and Sandra were taking it to the next level. These were the five couples they wanted with them in Showers of Blessings. Now he had to sell them on the idea.
Sandra looked up from her conversation with Monica Ray and saw him. She waved him back to the table. When he joined them, she leaned over and said, “Everybody has dessert. When are you going to speak?”
“I guess now’s the time,” he said. He stood and tapped his fork against his glass to get everybody’s attention. “The evening is not over, but I wanted you to know how much Sandra and I have enjoyed your fellowship tonight.”
A bunch of “thank you”s came from the gathered couples.
“While you’re finishing your desserts, I’d like to talk to you some more about Showers of Blessings. We’re excited about the path God is leading us on, but, like Moses when he was leading the Israelites, we’re going to need help.” He paused, taking the time to make eye contact with each couple. “We’ve invited you here tonight to ask you to take part in this vision and join the Showers of Blessings leadership team.”
Sandra came and stood next to him. “Because we always want to be honest with you,” she said, “we want to confess that last week’s cookout was your interview. As Andrew said, we want folks with us who believe in the vision God has given us. Your response to our news last week showed us that you were believers. We want you with us, if you want to be with us.”
“We’ll understand if you turn us down,” Andrew added, “and there’ll be no hard feelings. This has to be right for all of us. If you don’t feel it’s right for you, then I have to believe that it’s not what God wants for you. It’s that simple.”
Then Andrew went around the table telling everybody what their positions would be. The Moores would serve as associate pastors of Christian Education; the Thomases, associate pastors of Music and Praise; the Salleys, Youth Pastors; and the Rays, associate pastors of Outreach. The Wilsons would serve as Assistant Pastors and be their closest advisors.
“That’s it,” Andrew said, after he informed the couples of their proposed duties. “Do you have any questions?”
Jacob Wilson posed the first question. “Starting a new church takes a lot of time and effort, Andrew, and we all have full-time jobs. How much of a commitment are you expecting from us?”
Andrew turned to Sandra and chuckled. “How could you let me forget the most important point?” She just shook her head. He turned back to the group. “These will be full-time positions. We’re asking you to take a leap of faith with us and we’re prepared to compensate you. Because the Lord has blessed us financially beyond what we could have asked, we want to share that with you. Therefore, we’re offering each of you five-year guaranteed contracts at three times your current salary and twice the benefits.”
Murmurs went around the room.
“That’s generous,” Gloria Moore said.
“Very generous,” her husband echoed.
“Any other questions?” Andrew asked.
“I’ve never been involved in the formation of a new congregation,” George Salley said. “I want to join you but I’m not sure I have the skills.”
“You have the heart,” Sandra said. “You can be trained in the rest.”
“In fact,” Andrew said, “we’ve planned a four-week retreat in Hawaii for next month. It’ll be a time of teaching and learning, prayer and fasting, and fun and fellowship. We have to be a closely knit team if we’re going to achieve this vision.”
“Hawaii!” Jackie Thomas called out. “Sign us up now!”
Everybody laughed at Jackie’s enthusiasm.
“What about a building?” Michael Ray asked. “Where will we be meeting?”
“We’ll have to find a building,” Andrew said. “We’ve found five properties that could work but we wanted to get you all on board before we made a final decision.” He glanced around the table. “I’m not asking for a commitment tonight. I know you need some time to consider what’s best for your families. Your contracts will be delivered to your homes tomorrow so you can review them as you make your decision. We don’t want to put pressure on you, but we need your answer within the next two weeks. The sooner the better.”
Chapter 8
Sandra stood on the lanai of the Waikiki bungalow her husband had rented for their retreat, looking beyond the soothing blue ocean. Despair settled around her when she should have been at her happiest. Her children were sleeping soundly in their rooms. Their leadership team was installed in identical bungalows down the beach. Her parents were in the bungalow next door. Everything was going as she and Andrew had planned. Except she hadn’t planned on the casino nestled on the grounds of their resort.
Andrew was doing so well that she hadn’t given much thought to his problem. She’d been too busy working with him to build the ministry. They’d gotten their team together and found a building. From what she could see, Andrew didn’t have the time or the inclination to gamble. He was totally committed to the ministry. Stop torturing yourself, she said silently. He’s not going to start gambling again.
She was beginning to believe she was right until that afternoon when the group had decided they wanted to spend the evening in the casino. She’d tried to talk them out of it to no avail. So now she stood here on the lanai while her husband dressed for his night out, without her.
She turned when she heard him cross the threshold onto the lanai. “Don’t go, Andrew. You can make an excuse.”
He came to her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Stop worrying. Everything will be fine. I’ll be fine.”
“You have a problem, Andrew. Twice we almost lost everything because of it. I can’t live through a third time.”
He sighed. “There’s not going to be a third time. I’ve got it under control. We’re just going out to have a little fun.”
She tried another tact. “Do you think it’s appropriate for the pastor and leadership team of Showers of Blessings to be hanging out in a casino?”
He leaned back against the railing. “You don’t lose your faith because you walk into a casino, Sandra. Showers of Blessings is not going to have any Christian litmus test, other than the Bible. I thought you wanted us to be different from Praise City, with all its do’s and don’ts.”
Andrew had an answer for everything, just as he always did. “That’s not the issue,” she said. “The issue is that you have a gambling problem and you shouldn’t be in a casino.”
He checked his watch, a new Rolex, and then moved away from the railing. “Come with me,” he said. “Even your parents are coming. You’ll have fun and you can keep an eye on me.”
Sandra shook her head. “I can’t.”
He kissed her forehead. “I won’t stay out too late,” he said. And then he left her standing alone on the lanai.
Sandra turned back to the ocean, wiping at the tears that now rolled down her cheeks. They had everything and she was afraid they were going to lose it. How could Andrew even take the chance? Didn’t he realize the severity of his gambling problem? It wasn’t