Catalyst Road Trip

From our time with Pete Briscoe and the staff from Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX
(a blog entry written from the personal perspective of LV Hanson)

Home…there is only place we can call home, and the irony is that we have never been there. What a day that will be when we will see the Father and finally be Home! Until then we can only dream, but sometimes those dreams seem to take tangible shape when entering a place of overwhelming love. And such is the case when walking into Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. This past year has been one of the most difficult times of my life because of the passing of my father. He was diagnosed with cancer in November of 2006, and in December I moved back home to Carrollton, TX (from Atlanta) to help mom take care of dad. Hospice was called in and all we could do was trust the Lord to lead us through this painful unknown.

Mom has been a part of Bent Tree for several years and has served as a volunteer member of the Worship & Arts Team on Sunday mornings. As soon as the Bent Tree Family heard about dad’s diagnosis they rallied around us in a way that left me struggling to find words to express the deep thankfulness we felt…(pictures and video on next page)

“Strangers” would stop by and drop off food, come over and clean our bathrooms, mow our lawn, write cards of encouragement, and so much more. And if that was what we received from the people we called “strangers,” you can imagine the kind of response we received from those we called friends. It was more than I could have imagined possible. Strangers and friends quickly became family and helped us as we were there to say goodbye to dad. The church of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship offered us a glimpse of what God intended when He established the Body of Christ…as we rolled into the church parking lot to meet with the staff this past Monday it was like I was coming home.

Chris Capehart, my mom, and I were able to join the staff meeting in the lobby of their new sanctuary and I was able to address the entire team. It was a chance to share what had been building over the past year - expressions of deep thankfulness poured out in tears…it was a very special time, and one that will not quickly be forgotten.

As John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” We wanted to steal a few minutes with Pete Briscoe, the Senior Pastor of Bent Tree, and hear from him about lessons of leadership that have helped shape him as a pastor and their church as the hands and feet of Christ. The beauty of this day is in remembering that Bent Tree is but one of many churches reaching out to hurting families. This is just a chance for me to highlight one church as a result of my own personal experience, but in so doing, highlight what God is doing in so many churches across the country…and across the world. I hope this personal story offers a reminder of what He is doing through His Bride…through His Church.

Here is a fun video with Pete Briscoe sharing his thoughts on leaderhip…we asked him if we could get him on video next to a place that we know is a source of personal inspiration - the Green Bay Packers shrine in his office. With sincere apology to all Dallas Cowboy fans, here is Pete Briscoe…