Transition

Lets face it. Change is not always comfortable. Change can really have an effect upon our lives and mind. Hence, with The Sanctuary of the North Coast relocating,(www.sanctuarync.org) I felt the need to chat with you about transition.

Transition by definition is as follows:passing from one condition or place to another. When progress is being made, you can expect transition. God never intended His church to be stagnant, but to be a thriving church. A church in transition is one that is experiencing growth, direction from God and is moving forward in the kingdom. The Sanctuary is in this very place. A place of transition. A time when we are moving from one condition to another. We are exchanging a place that we have dwelled for a new place in God.

However, like I began this blog with today, transition, change, is not easy. I have personally struggled with this move in the vision in tremendous ways. I thought I was wrong in feeling this way until I sought counsel from some minister friends. I learned that I no longer have a place to go pray during the day like before. I discovered that I no longer have an office to retreat to in the time of battle. We have found the awkwardness of being in a strange building. I have struggled with the thought of losing members that live so far away now.

The mentors in my life has explained this to me. Transition is never easy. Most of us have been through the transition of a new pastor. It is difficult on both sides of the coin, meaning the church and the new pastor. Both parties must become familiar with one another. There will be changes made in transition. Some we will like and some we will question.

When it comes to the transition of an entire church to migrate to a new, temporary, location, the load, both mentally and physically, becomes just that....a load. Now the pressure of trying to hold the flock together. Now we walk like Abraham who sought a country he knew not of. It is this hour that every message must focus our attention to the vision. Why are we here? What is the purpose? Where do we go from here?

Know this to be true, God has a plan. He has it all under control. While we are in this transition of God's vision, we must conquer all of these fears, feelings and more. We must stand strong. We must uphold the arms of the leadership. We must financially support the work. We must fast. We must pray. We must keep unity. We must look to the hills where cometh our help.

Transition is, once again, a moving from one condition to another and one place to another. We are doing both of these. Transition is not easy, but necessary. We will see God's hand in all of this.

God bless the greatest church in Ohio.