Josh - As one who walks the road less traveled, let me first say Thank you! Those of us who have led a church through the process of closing have much more to offer than many realize. Sadly, there is great fear that somehow those who have participated in the closing of a church are now tainted. The place God has called us to and we willingly walked into is a place that only those who have been there can begin to understand. After Parchment CRC completed its ministry it took me nearly 4 years to receive a call. I gave up counting rejections... some were honest enough to say my participation in the death of a church was the deciding factor.
To those of you who carry this grief, who walk with this fear and wrestle with all that closing the doors of a church entails - the PEACE of Christ to you!
To those of you who know the pain that comes when a church has completed its ministry - Your grief is legitimate, the pain is real, and there is grace sufficient for it even when it doesn't feel like it. My prayer for you is that the God of all comfort will reveal Himself to you in the midst of your grief and give you the hope you need for each moment as you continue to Love God, Love Others, and Build His Kingdom. Thank you for being willing to follow God's call into the most difficult place - the valley of the shadow of death. The awesome thing about our God is that He really does make dry bones come alive. Be still. Wait. Hold one another as the waves of grief ebb and flow... and trust... that the One who called you to this place is faithful. He will make a way where it seems there is no way. It's what He's best at. (-:
Posted in: What Happens to the Pastor After a Church Closes?
Josh - As one who walks the road less traveled, let me first say Thank you! Those of us who have led a church through the process of closing have much more to offer than many realize. Sadly, there is great fear that somehow those who have participated in the closing of a church are now tainted. The place God has called us to and we willingly walked into is a place that only those who have been there can begin to understand. After Parchment CRC completed its ministry it took me nearly 4 years to receive a call. I gave up counting rejections... some were honest enough to say my participation in the death of a church was the deciding factor.
To those of you who carry this grief, who walk with this fear and wrestle with all that closing the doors of a church entails - the PEACE of Christ to you!
To those of you who know the pain that comes when a church has completed its ministry - Your grief is legitimate, the pain is real, and there is grace sufficient for it even when it doesn't feel like it. My prayer for you is that the God of all comfort will reveal Himself to you in the midst of your grief and give you the hope you need for each moment as you continue to Love God, Love Others, and Build His Kingdom. Thank you for being willing to follow God's call into the most difficult place - the valley of the shadow of death. The awesome thing about our God is that He really does make dry bones come alive. Be still. Wait. Hold one another as the waves of grief ebb and flow... and trust... that the One who called you to this place is faithful. He will make a way where it seems there is no way. It's what He's best at. (-:
Know that prayers are paving the way!