Grace and peace to you, sisters and brothers. I want to take this opportunity to share a few thoughts with you. The departure of our Senior Pastor, even under the best of circumstances, brings a measure of unsettledness to our church family. That is natural and expected. In this time of transition and unsettledness, we can experience uncertainty and anxiety about what is on the horizon for us. Indeed, we are entering a season of change unlike any we have ever experienced together in the history of our church. It has been one month since Pastor Lao retired, and yes, although we are about to enter a season of change, there are many things that do not change. First, the Gospel message of Christ crucified is always the same. Second, our mission to expand the Kingdom by becoming and developing a loving family of wholehearted, fully-engaged disciples of Christ does not change. Furthermore, we know that God is intimately aware of our situation and more importantly, He has a good plan for our church.
During this transition, the life and work of the church must go on as it has in the past. I am so grateful for the Pastoral Staff and Board of Directors that God has placed over our church during this time, and I want to assure you that both groups are working together diligently to make sure that our church’s ministries move forward without interruption or compromise. As a matter of fact, in each weekend service, you will see a familiar face faithfully preaching the Word of God. In other words, for much of our work and ministry, it will be business as usual. During this time of change, it is normal for us to want to focus on the past and what we have lost. While appropriate time and attention needs to be given to the past, I want to remind and invite you to focus on the future that God has for us and how we are to prepare for it. As much as I am praying against them, I am aware that disagreements may arise among our leaders as well as members, which the devil can use to divide us and disrupt our church’s ministry. Given that possibility, I want to remind us of the Holy Communion which is a clear call of unity for us: “16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” (1 Cor. 10:16-17) If there is a silver lining in the occasional dark clouds of transition, it is the renewed desire of the church family to seek God in new and deeper ways. Sisters and brothers, I want to invite you to pray even more during and through this season of change. At the Fullerton campus, last Sunday (3/27), we started a 21-Day Fast and Prayer to pray for our church and our Senior Pastor search. I will be working with the Pastoral Staff to see whether we can set up something similar for Cerritos, Oakland and East Lansing campuses. I want to invite each and every member to personally pray daily for our church during this season of change. What a powerful act of worship before God when hundreds of our people endeavor to pray each day during this transition. I also want to remind you that this time of transition is not a time to retreat or to enter a holding pattern, but a time to move forward with God’s Kingdom purposes. This is particularly important for the Pastoral Staff and Board of Directors. We are still on task; our mission is still in play and we are not throttling back. Whether it is through the World Vision 6K for Water, the National Day of Prayer, “Love Fullerton,” our ministry to Afghan refugee families, or community involvement through sports, we will continue to bring the hope of Christ and more importantly, to rebuild lives and hearts of those who so desperately need the Gospel. During this time, it is human nature to fill in the proverbial blanks of life with a narrative that is faulty or jaded. As the Executive Pastor, I want you to know that I am available to openly and transparently discuss any issues or suggestions you may have. I would love to grab a cup of coffee or a meal with you. You can call the office or email me to set up an appointment. As the Executive Pastor, my focus this past month has been on execution and making sure that things are running smoothly. But in my time of prayer this past week, the Lord reminded me not to forget the Pastor portion of the title. Indeed, I must not forget that as a Pastor I am here to shepherd and minister to the church body as well. As such, I also want you to know that I am available for any pastoral and spiritual need you may have. I also covet your prayers for me, as I navigate uncharted waters myself. I need godly wisdom and discernment as we navigate through this transition time. In short, first, I want to rally us around a renewed commitment to unity and prayer as we move forward with the work of the Kingdom that God has entrusted to us. And second, I want you to know that I am available for you. I am praying for you and I invite you to pray for me as well. Whatever future the Lord has for our church, I want to invite you to be a part of it. Join us as we move forward with confidence, knowing that God wants to take this, our season of change, and transform it into a season of great significance. For His glory, Amen! Comments are closed.
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