Meet Mat McIntosh. When I was a student at IU, Mat became the youth/college pastor at the church I went to back home (Evansville). At the time, he was working his way through seminary at Southern in Louisville.

I remember the very first time I met Mat. I drove the 2 and a half hours home for his presentation to the families of the youth group. Our previous youth pastor had left because of moral failure, and I planned to put him through the ringer.

During the meeting, Mat gave a brief testimony of his conversion and his call to ministry. Then things were opened up to a Q & A. I remember my first question being something ridiculous like this: "Why are you here? What's drives you?"

Mat responded by calling up his son, Haddon and his daughter Grace, who were 5 and 3 respectively. He reached down to Grace and said this:

"Gracie, who made you?"
"God!" she replied.
"And what else did God make?"
"All things!"
"And why did God make you and all things?"
"For his glory!"

"Haddon, what is the chief end of man?"
"The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

Then he gave his kids hugs and kisses and sent them back to their mama.

I have to tell you, I love Mat. I love him because he came into our broken youth group in our broken, messed up church, and he and his family were beautiful. He loved his wife. And his wife loved and respected and honored him. He loved his kids, and they loved him and feared God. I had never seen it before. Ever.

Over the next couple years, we watched Mat and his wife Jenni add Boyce and Tyndale to their quiver. We watched the youth group be healed. We watched the college group grow from 3 to 30--broken kids from broken non-Christian homes cramming ourselves into Mat's house on Sunday nights just to watch his family and to bask in their love for one another and for us.

A few years later Mat moved his family closer to Louisville and began pastoring a small town church in Kentucky. We would take trips by the carload just to visit him and to sit under his preaching again. Then God called them to Norman, Oklahoma to plant a church with the Acts 29 Network.

Norman is a college town much like Bloomington. They've been there now for a little over two years.

Guys, you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to reconnecting with Mat and giving you the chance to meet him. Sign up for the retreat. Now. Go. Run. Come.

-Jake