Spirit Midwest Ministries Blog

To Move or Not to Move...

Post by Chris Taulborg on Fri May 2nd, 2008

You know, after the festival last year, we got to thinking . . . The bandshell is a beautiful location and it's awesome being right on the "main drag" of Ankeny with the message of the Gospel going out all around us, but parking was a little difficult as more and more people came throughout the day. Plus, there weren't many trees for shade, which resulted in lots of people huddling around the parkway trees - well outside the "prime seating area" for the bands to be able to communicate. Not to mention the fact that we're nestled right in the middle of a neighborhood that may or may not enjoy the music at any given moment -- meaning they may or may not be happy with our festival, either. The last thing we want to do is be any type of hindrance to the Gospel, so the thought crossed our minds, perhaps it's time to look for a new location.

But, as with all such Great Ideas, after a while it started to look a little daunting - perhaps even overwhelming. How would we find another venue that seemed so absolutely perfect? Plus, where would we find the sponsors to pay for the additional costs associated with a new venue (stage, lights, electrical, etc)? While our committee prayed, I drove around a lot - scouting out the land. But, though there were many places that seemed great, they were also outside our budget - some way outside our budget! Therefore, after a while we decided it must not be the time. As with all Spirit Midwest decisions, we set it aside and waited for the Lord to provide.

Then, a routine meeting with the Ankeny Parks and Recreation Department turned out to be just that! While we thought we were going to review the City's rules and regulations about the bandshell, we ended up touring a new location the City was offering to us - the Prairie Ridge Sports Complex. The City had modified their rules regarding the bandshell - limiting amplified music to only three hours per day - therefore, our earlier hunt for a new location was well founded. However, scouting out the land was not necessary as God had already provided the venue – we just didn’t know it at the time! When we met with the City, they offered us not only a new – much larger – venue, but also the stage and lights we knew we couldn’t afford! Wow! What an answer to prayer!

These God-sightings are fairly common with Spirit Midwest, so you’d think we might get used to them. But no! We are always caught off guard and unawares where God is concerned. We know He can move, but never seem to know just when… What a mighty God we serve!

May you experience a God-sighting of your own today!

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