Open hands means nothing is mine.

Multiplication means multiplying Jesus not ourselves.

Encouragement and support is my job; church growth is God’s job.

With all that being said, we are excited that God has given us the opportunity to multiply Selah Memphis into 2 churches under the same name. We have been praying for someone to Pastor/Host another location and God has so graciously given us Jason and Hannah Wulff-Woesten. Jason has, for some time now, been serving Selah Memphis as a Biblically-qualified Elder (see 1 Timothy 3) as well as leading us in worship through music. Jason and Hannah have been married for almost 10 years and have 3 great kids. We are very excited to be gathering, beginning March 24th, in Bartlett at Jason and Hannah’s home.

What does this look like for us practically?

We feel the Lord leading us to transition this in a slow way. I will be still teaching and pastoring the gathering of people in our home in Germantown while also teaching for the 1st 6 weeks in Bartlett. Jason has a busy, thriving business God has given him, and as he will be continuing that as his full-time role, I will stay connected to the Bartlett home as much as possible to help with any pastoral responsibilities throughout the week. We have been asking our Selah family for the last few weeks to pray through which home church they are to be apart of. We now have about 5 families that will be joining Jason and Hannah to start out in Bartlett.

Why start another home when you are just 9 months in?

This is a Jesus strategy; we have a calling to multiply. If we keep growing in number and relationships without “sending out”, we will end up, despite our good intentions, stunting the growth and the gifts of those in the church. This is the opposite of God’s calling on all believers.

What will hold you together?

Jesus and His purposes! Jesus is the head of the Church and we are all following Him. Practically, here in the city of Memphis, there are a couple of ways we will stay connected despite gathering in 2 different homes:

1. We will continue to gather to pray on Wednesday nights together in one home.

2. We will (once space becomes available) gather together monthly to worship and encourage one another.

3. We will share resources as well as the mission of loving one another and our communities.

4. We will consistently come together to impact our homeless friends in Nutbush by feeding them, and in other exciting ways (coming soon).

No efforts of man can accomplish anything of eternal value. To be men and women who deny self and allow the Lord to accomplish things through us is the true desire of our hearts. We can’t build the church ourselves. Jesus says;

Matthew 16

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

I am just a lowly rock. But on these lowly rocks is how Jesus has chosen to build His church. I don’t build. I set my face like stone on Jesus; He builds the Church. We are eager to see what God has for us as we submit to Him, fixing our eyes on Jesus as He builds His Church.