Our pastor resigned yesterday. He\u2019s off to be a chaplain at Wheaton College in Chicago. Wonderful opportunity for him of course, but he\u2019ll be greatly missed.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re 50+ it appears to me that transitions seem to happen faster and faster; even more so in an expat community when some 30% of the congregation changes every year. Pastors come and go, leaders come and go and the church council mutates; the latter fortunately with a core of long-stayers or locals which gives some continuity at least.<\/p>\n
However, I have noticed through all the transitions, time after time, that God remains faithful and works through us (and often in spite of us!) to expand His kingdom. He raises up new pastors, leaders and council members to step up to vacant positions for which back at their home church they may have felt excluded or ill-equpped. These steps of faith the incomers need to take invariably lead to greater spiritual maturity which benefits our congregation and, in time, the congregation to which they return or go on to serve.<\/p>\n
Praying for our interregnum and transitions (and yours if you\u2019re going through change too), that it would be a time of personal and corporate growth and not decline, and of conscensus and not division. All for one and one for all!<\/p>\n
\u201cI appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>1 Corinthians 1:10-11<\/strong><\/p>\n