Meeting with Reuben and Shore elder

Hey guys,

I had a meeting with Reuben and one of the elders of Shore (Noel Spanier) concerning the letter of invitation to partner with Shore. We will be getting an official reply in writing--as will SPCF, but I wanted to lay out the gist of what they are thinking:

• They have expressed that they want to be of as much help and support to us as they possibly can, but due to the tumultuous situation Shore is in right now, they are unable to partner with us in a formal capacity. That means that although they want to give us advice and as much experience as possible, they are unable at this time to commit any significant time (mentoring/authoritative role), money, or people (core planting group).
• They have said that they are excited about having the team come in October and help out at Shore in a sort of interning role. They also felt, however, that they could not provide me personally with the kind of ministry experience they think I will need before I can tackle a church plant. They are happy for me to work with Shore, but their advice is for me to try and find a job in a local church for a while to gain experience.
• On a more positive note, Noel has told the Shore eldership that he is stepping down from being an elder (that's not the positive part. Nor is it open information). He said that he would love to act as a kind of mentor for our team as we church plant. He would be an invaluable resource (and a great friend) for us.
• Shore also expressed that there is some confusion and a little frustration with the communication (or lack thereof) between Shore and SPCF. I think they are after some more clarification. It apprears that Randall will become the point man for SPCF in the South Pacific, but nothing has been made official.

Well, that's what I got out of the meeting. The impression that I get (and I could be wrong) is two-fold: They really want to help us out and get on board with us, but the timing is just downright terrible (no-one's fault), and they have to make the decision of putting Shore first. They have to be healthy before they can try and support another. Secondly, they are concerned with my lack of experience and would like me to gain some before we plant.

I have some ideas of potential options for us to take, but before I throw them at you, I just want to get some gut reactions from y'all.

Anyway, I'm sorry to bring a downer. I hope all else is going well. The whole website thing sounds exciting. I will probably leave that kind of stuff in your capable hands, but I am definitely interested.

Love you all, miss you heaps!