Embracing a Long-Lost Dream

I can't believe it's finally happening.

This has been a dream of mine since I was 18—something I always thought I'd eventually get around to, someday.

But when the hard realities of 2020 hit, I forced myself to abandon the dream completely.

I divorced myself from all aspects of that dream—and my old life—because it was too painful to think about.

Over the last four and a half years, I focused on other things: marriage, fatherhood, entrepreneurship—all important and worthy endeavors.

But the dream still lay dormant, emerging at unexpected moments, leaving me breathless, confused, and frustrated.

I prayed for direction and new passions—something to fill that void—and when I discovered Heritage School of Ministry from Heritage Church at the end of 2022, I thought that might be the answer.

Diving deeper into the Bible, theology, and ministry was exhilarating.

But at times, I couldn’t help but feel out of place.

I had little interest in being a church planter.

Last December, while listening to a guest speaker discuss the heart and mindset needed for church planting, I remember thinking, “This sounds terrible. I don't have that kind of heart. This definitely isn't me!”

I looked around at my classmates, who were energized and excited, while I squirmed in my seat.

Maybe there would be a break soon?

I could silently sneak out to my car and go home. Nobody would notice.

But the conversation continued, and my angst grew.

Finally, my imposter syndrome couldn’t take it anymore.

I silently pleaded, “Lord, why am I here?! I DON’T WANT TO BE A CHURCH PLANTER!”

To my surprise, I felt the Lord answer me clearly: “I don't want you to plant a church. I want you to plant a theatre.”

And there it was again—that pesky dream I had since I was 18.

The dream of starting a faith-based theatre company.

The dream I had put off, run from, and completely abandoned.

But at that moment, I knew I couldn’t shy away from it anymore.

Even though it felt too late.

Even though I’ve been disconnected from the theatre world for years.

I knew this was what God had been calling me to.

With that, I am thrilled to announce the birth of our new non-profit theatre company serving the Vancouver, WA community: Ekklēsia Theatre.

I will be sharing more about our journey, our mission, and how you can get involved in the coming days and weeks. Thank you for being a part of this exciting new chapter.

To learn more, I invite you to subscribe to our newsletter and explore the rest of our website to find out how you can be involved.