The Miracle I Almost Missed

Just over a month ago, I sent an email asking for help—and what happened next was something only God could do.

The past month has been one of the most overwhelming, stressful, surprising, and encouraging of my adult life.

Just over a month ago, on April 2, I sent an email with little more than a flicker of faith and a whole lot of hope.

In that message, I shared the difficult news that Formation Church, where I serve as lead pastor, was being displaced for the third time in six years.

Moving an entire community is always hard. But in Salt Lake City, just finding space is a miracle in itself. Our city is growing rapidly, which drives up prices. But beyond that, the cultural landscape creates unique challenges for churches like ours. School districts won’t rent to anyone on Sundays, and a majority of commercial landlords simply aren’t open to working with Christian churches. In the last few years, over 25 different venues told us they were unable—or unwilling—to rent to us on Sunday mornings.

After years of temporary spaces and tireless searching, we came to a sobering realization: if we want to have a lasting presence in Salt Lake City, we need a permanent home. The problem? We’re not in a financial position to buy one—especially with real estate prices where they are.

That’s what prompted my email on April 2. I reached out to a few friends known for their generosity and simply asked: Would you help us find and secure a place to call home?

What happened next was something I’ll never forget.

A Miracle in Motion

Just one week later, my friend and Executive Pastor, Tyler, and I had what I now call “the phone call.”

That phone call resulted in a $2 million gift.

Two. Million. Dollars.

We were stunned. We still are. It was, and remains, a miracle. But it was also just the beginning.

A few days later, Tyler and I sat down with our realtor to talk through what kind of space we needed. He was honest: it’s incredibly difficult to find suitable buildings in Salt Lake. He encouraged us to be patient and reminded us that our current lease still gave us some runway.

But Tyler—being the best kind of impatient—jumped on LoopNet right after that meeting and found a single property that met our criteria. He sent it to our realtor, and just one week after the phone call, we got to walk through it.

And it checked a number of our boxes:

• Over 12,000 square feet

• Located in the area we hoped

• Already usable, but full of potential for future development

• And—thanks to that miraculous gift—within reach financially

But there were also two major hurdles.

First, the sellers already had another offer on the table they were ready to accept.

Second, due to serious health concerns in their family, they needed to close in just a few weeks.

Now, if you’re not familiar with commercial real estate, that kind of timeline is virtually unheard of. These deals usually take 60 to 120 days to close. That’s how long it takes to complete due diligence, legal reviews, inspections, surveys—you name it. For us to make it happen faster would take another miracle.

And that’s exactly what happened.

By the grace of God, we are officially under contract and—Lord willing—set to close on Formation Church’s first permanent home on June 16.

I still can’t believe I get to write that sentence.

Why I’m Sharing This With You

There are three reasons I wanted to tell you this story.

1. To Thank God Publicly

The scope of what God is doing in this season is beyond anything I’ve experienced before. I’ve spent many quiet moments thanking Him, but this felt like a moment that needed more than private praise. It’s one of those seasons where you want to climb to the highest point you can find and shout of God’s goodness.

God has been unbelievably kind to us. And I want to give Him the honor He deserves.

2. To Encourage You to Keep Going

The past ten years have tested my faith more deeply than any season before. I’ve thought about giving up more times than I can count. I’ve had days where the weight of ministry felt unbearable. I’ve wrestled with regret over the path I’ve chosen. I’ve wondered if God had forgotten us. I never stopped believing that God worked miracles. I just stopped believing He wanted to work them for us.

But here’s the thought I haven’t been able to shake since this all began:

Giving up would have meant missing this moment.

Please hear me: I don’t think I would have disappointed God if I had walked away. I’m not bound to my calling at this stage of my life. I believe I’m God’s beloved son whether I pastor or not. But if I had walked away, I would have missed this move of God.

And maybe there’s an invitation there for you.

I don’t know what you’re holding out hope for. I don’t know what has you weary or on the edge of quitting. But I know what it feels like to question if God still sees you. To wonder if He’ll ever come through.

And I just want to gently say: maybe it’s not quite time to walk away.

Just because God hasn’t moved the way you hoped yet, doesn’t mean He won’t.

Sometimes, what looks like silence is just the quiet before the miracle.

3. To Invite You In

I know Formation Church isn’t your church—at least, not for most of you reading this. But if this story moved you in any way, I’d love to invite you to help us build something that will outlast us.

We believe God is doing something special in Salt Lake. This building gives us more than a place to gather on Sundays. It gives us space to care for weary ministry leaders. To support new church plants. To serve our city in deeper and more consistent ways.

So, I want to ask for two things:

First, will you pray?

As you know, nothing is done until it’s done. Please pray that everything moves forward smoothly and that we close without issue.

Second, would you consider giving?

We’re working to raise $2 million—$1 million to repay the remaining loan after the donation, and another $1 million for renovations. It’s a big number, but every gift matters.

Salt Lake is a city of nearly 2 million people—and less than 2% attend a Bible-believing church. There may be no greater need for healthy, established churches than right here.

If you, someone you know, or your church would be interested in helping establish this permanent kingdom presence in Salt Lake, we’d be so grateful.

You can give by clicking the button below.

If you have questions or want to talk more about it, just reply to this email, or send me a message. I’d love to hear from you.

A Final Word

This has been the most faith-stretching season of my life—and also the most faith-building. I don’t know what comes next. I just know I don’t want to miss the next moment either.

So I’m keeping my eyes open, my hands open, and my heart open.

And, by God’s grace, I’m praying you will too.

P.S. If you know someone who might be encouraged by this story or interested in supporting what God is doing in Salt Lake, feel free to forward this email to them. Every prayer and every gift helps move this miracle forward.