Transition

Last Sunday, the church I've attended (and helped start in the beginning) for three years announced that they were shutting the doors and merging with another church. This exact situation, I have never been through. But I have been through several church changes over the years. From switching churches to pastoral changes to leaving based on circumstances, I've certainly seen many sides of it all.

I know a lot of us are hurt by church change, particularly this one (for those of you who attended the same church.) A lot of us were part of it from the beginning, a lot of us have been through the processes of trying to find a new pastor. And if I'm being honest, I know a lot of us were feeling discouraged, even before this announcement came about.

I feel like I need to share my story regarding this last week. When I found out, it was the Friday before the announcement was made at church. Since I was at work, I couldn't deal with it then and there, and by the time I was going home, I had stuffed all the emotion back inside and just wasn't ready to deal yet (which is very typical for me if you know me.) Sunday, on the way to church, all the emotions hit me at once. I cried all the way to Exeter, and wasn't able to stop the entire service (which once again, is very typical for me.) I halfheartedly listened to the sermon, but spent most of the time just seeking God and praying for guidance. I knew in my heart the church we were merging with was not where I was supposed to be. Not because it's not a good church, it absolutely is, and it has a lot of doctrine I believe in. But I just knew I wasn't supposed to be there. But that left the question, where was I supposed to be? So I simply prayed. And prayed. And prayed.

That night at work was terrible. I had an all new-person crew, a very busy night, not to mention a headache from dealing with all the emotions of that morning. The store was closing, but there was one last group of people on the patio. As I went out to let them know I was closing, I noticed they had a Bible sitting on the table, something I always get a little excited about but never mention when I'm on the clock. So, they helped me bring in their table and I locked the door. I don't know why I did what I did next, but I promptly turned around and went back out to ask what church they went to. I've never, ever done this before. Being in a corporate world, you never know who you're going to offend. But it just felt right. One of the guys immediately started telling me that they were actually part of a church plant that would be holding it's first "preview" service on the following Sunday. Seriously God? I was in shock. I chatted with them a little bit about what I was currently going through with church transition and the need for church shopping. So they got my information, and I got the information about the church.

I still can't believe that happened. On my way home, I couldn't stop smiling and just thanking God. My prayer had literally just been answered in such a crazy way. Some would call this coincidence, I call this God. I spent the week in contact with the guy I had met at work, and praying about this opportunity. Coming from a church plant, I was a little nervous to just dive in and be part of it. But it also seemed too God-ordained to not be what I was supposed to be part of. I attended the service on Sunday, and from what I could see and what I observed, I'm all in. It was everything I could look for in a church. I was able to connect with some people, meet new people, and already build some community.

I'm not trying to sell this new church to everyone who may be going through the same transition I am, but I do want to encourage everyone who has been part of OVC to not just blindly go to another church because friends are going there, or because it's what everyone else is doing. Really ask God (with no ulterior motives) where you are supposed to go. He'll show you. You may not even like the answer, but God will show you. If you want to, check out www.launchthechurch.com. I'm glad I did. But ultimately, it comes down to prayer.

When it comes to change and transition, several verses come to mind:

Jeremiah 29:11
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
"There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens: 

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace"

 

Maybe those are all a little cliché because they're always used for this type of thing. But they all bring encouragement too, at least to me. I hope all of you who are in transition can find hope and peace through this. This type of transition is never easy, but I also think a lot of the time it comes from God as a way to build us up more. Pray. Trust. Follow what God is telling you.