How to Leave a Church
If it’s not hard, something is wrong.
The Lord’s Day
My family and those joining us will no longer be members as Riviera Baptist Church in 18 days, but who’s counting. Instead we will be members of Coram Deo Baptist Church in Springfield, having finally planted and had our first service.
The last two years has been marvelous. Seeing God move in my own heart and the hearts of my family members has been awesome (in the actual sense).
Yesterday was a full day. It was a day of mixed emotions. It was a day of joy and joyful sadness. As I stood behind my daughters and heard their voices mixed with their dear friends belting worship to our God, it got me. There is a heavy joy when you have to say goodbye to those you love and who have loved you. We had our last Summer picnic in the front lawn with RBC. Two years we were knit together with our people. Two years our people walked through some of the hardest times of our lives with us. Two years our people supported us as I pursued endorsement and ordination. Our people stood in affirmation of my call to pastor. Our people sat under my teaching and preaching for two years of Sunday school every week and sermons sprinkled in.
The relationships formed here have been the fruit of a people who understands their duties towards other Christians. Sunday is not a networking meeting or club, it is the interweaving of our very lives. Not just a small group being knit together, but the whole church itself. It’s because of this that leaving hurts.
Sometimes when we leave a job we worry, we face a new place with new duties and new people. We think how we will miss Bill because of his wild antics and Tabitha for her creativity and problem solving. When we leave a family it’s more than that. I am grateful that by God’s grace Riviera Baptist Church has been a family to me, my wife, and my girls.
I was exchanging texts with a new friend on Saturday night, sharing how I was looking forward to Sunday, the Lord's day. It's the best day of the week! She expressed she's never felt that way, but she quickly realized she can put a stake down there at least because it is Christ's, her Lord's. Even if the fellowship piece had been missing, it was still her Savior’s day. Her attitude was right but I was grieved for her nonetheless. She hadn't experienced the joy that comes from being united with other believers in joy.
I know and am grateful that we will still see this “extended” family, but can’t deny that things will be different. This chapter is closing. I won’t be able to go back to the way things were.
That’s life.
But more than that, I think that’s an eschatological longing we have wired into us. We long for the good times, where flourishing happens, depth is established in relationships. Forever. This is just a foretaste of that time. A foretaste we will never have unless by the Spirit of God and according to His Word we give of ourselves to others in mutual love, submission, honor, instruction, correction, counsel, and care. I have tasted and seen the goodness of God in this church family. It has been a testimony of the manifold wisdom of God.
Now, we leave to build it all over again with new people so that the goodness of God may be experienced by even more people. I know I still have two weeks here, but even typing that feels laughable. I’m going to blink and be preaching somewhere to a different people about the same Jesus that made this people who were once not His people, a new people. I love how Jesus works. I’m so grateful to be a beneficiary and participant of it.
One final note. If we only stayed where we were comfortable, our needs being met, we wouldn’t be planting a church. The world needs more healthy churches. It needs more people catalyzed and galvanized in the labor of being the church and fulfilling the Christian’s duty to spread the Gospel. I believe in the vision of the church found in Scripture, ruled by Christ, formed by His Spirit and Word through His people creating the most compelling community in the world to proclaim our King’s glory. The only community that will stand for eternity. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing anything else.
Soli Deo gloria!
Springfield Canvasing
Saturday is almost here! If you can come please do! You can sign-up on Facebook below or just show up. We want everyone in our neighborhood to know who we are and be invited into the work our King is doing there.
See you at Trinity Baptist Church, Saturday at 12pm
Location
As of today (Monday), we do not have anything nailed down.
I tour a business right on Main Street tomorrow afternoon that I think is promising. I have also applied to rent space at Willamalane Parks and Rec off Mill. We were just approved minutes ago. Additionally, we do have one place that is greenlit but I need to have some conversations before we decide if that’s the direction we want to go.
God knows we need a place by the end of this week. We trust Him to provide.
Prayer Requests
Pray for our family as we navigate the final month at Riviera Baptist Church. It’s going to be really difficult to say goodbye and leap into the unknown.
Pray for fertile ground when we canvas. That we can find people of peace who will receive the information about the church and the Gospel eagerly.
Pray for the Lord to provide a location for our Sunday gathering.
Pray for our brother Patrick who has a wound on his foot that is healing, pray that no infection takes root.
Pray for our dear sister Linda’s step-granddaughter who suffered a series of serious injuries that required surgery.
