So for the past eight or so years, I have worked with a guy named Scott. I remember the first time I met him, he was asking me about drywall texturing or something (like I actually knew anything about it). He became the youth director at Voice and from there we embarked upon an epic journey of crazy projects. We did a few things at the old Forerunner Center, but nothing too major. I really had no idea what I was getting into until we moved to the Horizon Center and looked at the big empty box of a youth room. It had lots of potential. After discussion back and forth, Scott got a vision for the Foundry – a place whether things are heated, purified, and then reformed by the fire into something new. It was so amazing to see the hidden talents (to me anyway) just explode and suddenly he was creating steel beams out of wood and making pieces of foam and roofing material look rusted and beat up. We transformed this room into a really special place. I was (and still am) amazed at how he is able to see something in his head and figure out a way to build it in one room, take it apart, and then reassemble it in the place where it will go. From there we went on to dream up other projects, like the drum booth, sound booth, the Depot, and finally working at the Camp over the past year. Seeing how Scott was able to save us so much money because of his inventiveness and resourcefulness is pretty wild. Scott has an eye for detail (ok, perfectionist!) but a spirit of excellence. He doesn’t believe in doing things half way – we go all the way and do it right.
But beyond the physical abilities, Scott is highly gifted in the prophetic, in teaching, and in discernment. And he sees so many interesting things even behind the jobs we were doing – how each step of the process would relate back to a spiritual principle, or how each project could be related back to part of the spiritual journey of either himself, or the ministry as a whole. When we tore out the kitchen, for example, we found mold and the mice had eaten through wiring. Sure, it looked ok on the outside, but behind the facade was rot and danger. So the facades had to be removed and the junk exposed so that it could be “healed” as it were.
Our conversations have ranged all over the place and it has never been dull. One thing that many do not know about Scott is that he knows pretty much the lyrics to every 80s/90s song ever made. I would honestly shake my head in amazement some days.
Scott actually proposed to his wife Traci at IHOP back in the day and I remember the days when he would be here before his job, every morning at like 4:30am, studying the word. He has cultivated years with the Lord since his conversion, and his heart is for God in a big way. There’s a lot more I could say about this guy – how much has gives, has taught me about servanthood, excellence and doing things well. Scott’s last day at Voice was Friday, and he and his wife and son are pursuing the Lord in a new season, and I wish them peace, joy and hope in the Lord as they follow God’s leading.
I sure will miss our discussions, those interesting voice mails, the wise counsel, and working together, but I know that whatever He does next… it will be awesome. Godspeed my friend.