A New Bearing on our Journey
National Community Church is an absolutely amazing assembly of people who love Christ and are devoted to seeing the people of Washington, DC experience Him in a real way. At the helm of this community is one of the finest leaders I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Mark Batterson loves his family, serves this local church and edifies the global church. To serve Pastor Mark and the church over the past three-plus years has been the experience of a lifetime. If you don’t know about this community, you should. And if you do know about this community, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This place is grand.
Missy and I love life with our young son Andrew and we are anticipating with sheer excitement the arrival of our baby girl, due just one month from today. In fact, parenthood has really re-shaped our thinking. Lately, we have grown to miss “home”, the place where our families live and work and play. Yes, Washington has felt like home. We have been very comfortable here, truly blessed to live and work in such a stunning city. But as our hearts started to shift earlier this year, our definition of home was slowly re-structured. Sure, we’ve hopped on many planes and visited Alabama often during our tenure in Washington. But we know now that what we’d really like is the opportunity to once again call Alabama home, to see our kids grow up knowing well the faces of their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
In the midst of this came an opportunity—one that makes a great deal of sense and one that really feels like God has prepared! In two weeks, Missy, Andrew, our yet-to-be-born baby girl and I will move to Birmingham, Alabama, where I will join the team at Church of the Highlands. Chris Hodges is truly one of the great church leaders of today and I am excited about joining the Highlands team. Pastor Chris is an inspiration to many and I count it an honor to serve under his leadership.
At Highlands, I will be working within the Technology Department, under the expert management of Denny Hodges. I’ll tackle all things web and work alongside a great web designer, Bradley Koltas. It is truly a full-circle experience. In 2002 and 2003, I played guitar at Church of the Highlands and led a Highlands small group at the University of Montevallo before departing on a journey to help plant a church in Montgomery, a journey that ultimately led to our arrival here at NCC. (Like I said, full-circle!)
As much as we are thrilled for the new opportunity, we are also saddened to depart National Community Church. It is not an easy goodbye. We have close friends here. Even Andrew loves his little buddies! There is no doubt we will miss these friends, our great church and this fine city. What an amazing experience it is to live and work in the most important city in the world! I have high expectations—true faith—that God will continue to use NCC to reach people who desperately need the love of Christ and that He will amplify the efforts of this community in order to build the Kingdom in unprecedented ways!
Thank you, friends and family, for offering up a short prayer regarding our transition.
Dave Clark
2009-07-20 0925hrs
Congrats my friend! Excited for you and your family. You will be in our prayers.
kristen Pannell
2009-07-20 0929hrs
Yay! What exciting news! Can’t wait to have you as a fellow staff member! Talk about full circle….we started at the same church & about 20 years later we end up there again! Can’t wait to have you & the family back in Bama!
Derek Draughon
2009-07-20 0929hrs
Awesome - Glad to have you back in state!
Justin Thorp
2009-07-20 0931hrs
Bro, congrats on the new gig. Excited for you, the family, and your new journey.
We need to catch up. When do you leave? We need to grab some lunch at Five Guys. I’m buying.
Atiba de Souza
2009-07-20 0935hrs
David,
You will be missed here in DC but at the same time it is always amazing to see how God can take us full circle. I have no doubt you will find amazing ways to revolutionize Church at the Highlands. Congrats to you and your family.
BTW. hows the fishing down there, I’m sorry we did not get to go up here.
Atiba.
http://www.twitter.com/atibadesouza
David Copeland
2009-07-20 0937hrs
I know this is very bittersweet. Washington is a tremendous place, and I know Pastor Mark has been a tremendous mentor. But as this next chapter unfolds in your lives the same Presence of God that led you both to DC now leads you home. Needless to say we are estatic! We get out kids back! I know that is selfish and this is not a book, but know Pam and I are very proud of you guys and we are proud that you are our son. Not son-in-law!
Joel Schmidgall
2009-07-20 0944hrs
I am mad at Alabama right now :)
We’re really going to miss you guys!!! Thanks for giving so much towards the NCC community. I pray the Lord would prepare your path and orchestrate this next season in your life!
Lindsey Appiah
2009-07-20 0957hrs
Truly excited for you, Russells! The Church of the Highlands is actually the church that provides spiritual covering for our church here in Nash so I know it’s an amazing place. They are blessed to be getting such an amazing family. Bonus is you are now closer to me and Amanda. Dixie anxiously awaits your return…sweet tea and BBQ all around ;-)
Heather Zempel
2009-07-20 1011hrs
I hate Alabama too!! No…wait…
I love Alabama!! Which is one of the many reasons I love you guys. Wow. It’s been so great having you guys around—people who understand good BBQ, sweet tea, college football, what hot weather really feels like, the importance of good ice in your glass, the superiority of the Cock of the Walk fried dill pickle, oh I could go on and on.
Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our lives and this team. We are thankful to have spent a season in your path and hope that our path takes us through Birmingham many times in the future. We love y’all!
Brian Bailey
2009-07-20 1013hrs
Congratulations David! I know how hard it must be to leave such a great church. Many blessings to you and your family on this new adventure!
Brad McMath
2009-07-20 1014hrs
David and Missy,
I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great source of encouragement during our stay here at NCC. We love and appreciate you guys so much and I know that the Lord will continue to use you in a massive way!
I’ll be reading the tweets from here on out so keep us posted with the brain waves of David Russell. Thanks again for everything - God bless…
Chris Jarrell
2009-07-20 1019hrs
DRuss, Missy, Andrew, and Baby Girl Russell thanks for being amazing teammates. Lora, Torin and I are going to miss you guys so much. We are going to miss the random food runs to Dixie Bones, Cracker Barrell, Five Guys and Moes. Torin is going to miss his buddy Andrew and the most awesome babysitter Miss Missy.
I am definitely going to miss a great friend and the web guy in the world. I am going to miss all of our conversations about internet, web related stuff which I really didn’t understand about 95% of the stuff that you said. But I sure felt smarter afterwards. :-)
You will be missed! I also know that God will truly bless you all in so many ways! Love you guys!
Tom Corcoran
2009-07-20 1033hrs
Though we never met I’ve enjoyed your “tweets” - I’ve been a great advocate of NCC for some time (even though I don’t attend there) - I’m an advocate because of the folks there that show Jesus is about relationships. I look forward to your new “tweets” at your new home - the “Church” isn’t NCC - it’s us :)
Lindsey Podguski
2009-07-20 1039hrs
So sad to see you go, but thrilled to hear how the Lord is working in your lives! It will be an amazing adventure for your entire family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of transition!
Jeremy Sexton
2009-07-20 1120hrs
Really excited for this next step in you guys’ lives, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that this one hurts. It’s been so great serving with you at NCC. I’ve been thoroughly appreciative of the hospitality you and Missy have extended towards me from my internship oh so many summers ago, to my time here in DC; you guys have been awesome. It’s really bittersweet to see you go.
However, when I think of all the unfound geocaches that await you in Birmingham, I know it will all be worth it!
Love you all and will be praying for you on this next stage of your journey.
Josh Oswald
2009-07-20 1342hrs
Alabama. FTW.
Bill Sheeler
2009-07-20 1409hrs
David
Congratulations. Our prayers will be with you and your family on your journey. I pray that all goes well for you. It’s really no further to Alabama then it is to DC when it comes to the Internet.
Stephen Elliot
2009-07-20 1710hrs
Not really sure where to begin…
Perhaps the best understatement I can muster right now is that my life is richer because you have been a part of it.
You guys will be missed! ...so very much.
J.C. Jennings
2009-07-20 1718hrs
Congrats on the new position! Loosing all my contacts at NCC to other churches!!! Oh well, if we don’t meet up here sometime on Earth, I’ll catch ya on the flipside!
Randy and Janet Bartlett
2009-07-20 2124hrs
We are the Bartletts and own the Cock of the Walk in Auburn, AL. We are also members of Church of the Highlands in Auburn. Heather, thanks for the shout out about Cock of the Walk. To the Russells welcome back to the south and to Church of the Highlands. When you are in Auburn come see us and we will treat you to some fried dill pickles and catfish. War Eagle.
Jenn Hudson
2009-07-20 2221hrs
I’m soo thrilled to have my brother, Missy, Andrew and new niece coming back to sweet HOME Alabama! I will love, love love having you guys nearby, watching your kids grow up and teaching them how to say “Aunt Jenn” before they say anything else. :) lol. However, i must say, living vicariously through you all these years has enriched my life, tremendously—AND, i will truly miss my D.C. hookup! guess, Georgetown will have to just move on without my visits. *sniff, sniff* :) Getting to visit you and Missy in your ever-so-swanky, yes, (welcome back to Alabama) swanky home in D.C. - those were precious times —- wait, this is supposed to be about you, not me…right. o-kay. :) I love you!!! and I am proud of the amazing journey that God is unfolding in your lives.
Joshua Nemecek
2009-07-20 2231hrs
Hmmm . . . you guys actually won’t be too far away. We can meet up at the Atlanta IKEA to cheaply furnish all our new much larger (and cheaper) houses. :)
Jayson Whelpley
2009-07-21 0211hrs
Dang. All the GTown location pastors leaving us. When do you depart? Hopefully after we get back. Or will you pull a Dave Clark and make the announcement and leave while we’re out of town?
Dolan
2009-07-21 1014hrs
Dave, glad to hear you guys are moving closer to home. Contact me when you guys get settled. I’d love to see you and have lunch. We lift your family in prayer as you make this transition.
Glenda McMath
2009-07-21 1021hrs
David & Missy
You guys are amazing and will be greatly missed at NCC. You have been such an asset to their team…from all of the MANY hats that you wear (and with excellence I might add)...to the way you are PERSONABLE…a great ministry gift to have!
Our friendship with you has been a blessing this year. May God richly bless your future and enable you to accomplish all He has designed you for!
Much love
Glenda McMath
Dan Hampton
2009-07-21 1516hrs
Gonna miss you guys!! Been awesome working and serving along side you. Looking forward to seeing how God uses you in AL.
Andrew Mitry
2009-07-21 2251hrs
You will be missed! Praying for you and your family.