Somewhere between 2008 and 2009, and after an unexpected and
painful church split, the River Run family agreed to continue with plans to
construct a new building. Before
the unpleasant separation, property had been purchased, money was in the bank,
a highly recommended contractor had already been secured, and preliminary
drawings were on the table. The
cost was within our means and it seemed reasonable to continue the project.
Initially the contractor represented a modular building company,
however during the process he formed his own design and build team. We were assured that this would produce a
better and more cost effective product.
We intended to build a facility that was simple, flexible,
and debt free. We did not want a
typical church building. All of
this was regularly communicated to those involved.
Throughout the process of modifying a design, managing a
budget, and determining sub-trades, constant enquiries were made as to whether
we were on target as far as time and money. Each enquiry was met with assurances that we were
close. Nonetheless, we regularly
made cost effective modifications to the design to keep us on track.
In June 2010 we were informed of cost overruns on the
construction, and that an additional sum of money was needed to finish the
project. The bank granted us a
mortgage based on the contractor’s new projections. River Run would list for sale its other parcel of property
to pay off the mortgage.
The Unexpected
In August, work on the project had stalled. By September River Run discovered
that the projections were wrong, and that the mortgage would not pay the outstanding invoices, nor finish the project.
River Run met with the construction people to hear that the previous projections
involved a computer error, and that additional monies were needed to finish the
project.
A subsequent investigation by River Run found that again the
projections were incorrect, and that actually greater monies were needed to
complete the project. Burrowing
more money would not be the solution.
Much could be said about the excessive cost overruns and
assurances, but that is best left alone.
Needless to say, the project although 90% complete was stuck, and that
River Run’s season of testing was escalating.
In River Run’s mind was the notion to salvage the project. The sale of our second parcel of
property would instead finish the project, and the current mortgage would
unfortunately continue. A year
later after several failed offers and a defaulted sale, everything would yet be
at a standstill. Creditors
remained unpaid and anxious, and cash flow was at a minimum. Several families would leave the River
Run family and others were discouraged.
Words are inadequate to describe the pressure and adversity that we were
experiencing.
Trusting the Lord
In December of 2010 and in the midst of much concern the
Lord gave me this assurance from Zeph. 3:14-17. Each day for the year ahead it was a matter of believing
God’s word over what we saw, heard or felt.
Sing, O daughter of
Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be
glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
For the Lord will …
disperse the armies of your enemy.
And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and
you will never again fear disaster.
On that day the announcement
to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion!
Don’t be afraid!
For
the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior. He
will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
In October 2011 River Run offered its new building and
second parcel of property for sale.
In a week the building conditionally sold, as did the second parcel of
property. What followed were
several inconceivable obstacles including the removal of contaminated soil that
did not show in two previous environmental tests.
Today the building is sold and all creditors are paid. Furthermore the other property will be
unconditionally sold by the summer.
The above version of events simply represents a storyline
and misses much of the emotional and spiritual challenges we faced. It doesn’t speak of the fear,
frustration, and failure we encountered, nor the love and hope we embraced. It doesn’t show the faithfulness of the
Lord nor his mercies that are new everyday. While the last four years have been the greatest amount of
difficulty this believing community has ever faced, God has turned everything
for his good.
Hanging On & Hanging In
Some ask, ‘What have you learned?’ Naivety would suggest that we missed God and that he didn’t
want us to have a building, but pat answers don’t cut it and to be frank are
just foolish.
We are God’s children and he tremendously loves us. He intends for us to be just like his
Son Jesus, and he will use everything to shape and mold us into his image,
including hardships and suffering.
Hardships do not come because God is mad at us or because we have failed
to understand him. Hardships come
because he loves us like sons, Heb. 12:7-12. Job did not miss God’s direction nor did Joseph, yet they
suffered and understood perseverance. Their challenges were
intended to produce a harvest of righteousness and to fulfill God’s purposes.
Unlike the old saying ‘it’s easier to switch than fight,’ hardships are to be endured. We all know that when frustration and
fear have their way it’s easy to bail from difficulty, because in Christian
culture challenges are unhelpful and irrelevant. Most Christians presume that difficulties are not part of
the package, and that going to church and living good are more about being
blessed than suffering. Suffering
in our minds is considered as a telling off from God.
Yet, it is through these difficulties that God is shaping
River Run. We are experiencing his
love, mercy and grace. We are
seeing his faithfulness over and over again. We know the kindness of creditors and the generosity of
unbelievers. We are growing to
love each other in hardship. We
are learning to persevere to see God fulfill his promises because all things do
work together for his good.
At times we doubted and asked, ‘Why us? What have we done to deserve this
trouble? Have we sinned, or are we
cursed?’ Yet I remember thinking
in one ‘ah ha’ moment, why not us? Why should we get a pass?
We didn’t do everything right and that not only includes
this matter but many others. Yet
having said that it doesn’t mean we will do everything right from here on. Living in a fallen world means that
gaffes and oversights will happen, but living in Christ means that his grace
supersedes everything. His grace
is sufficient to forgive, fix up, and continue.
You cannot experience something so powerful as we have
without realizing that something is dying and that something new is being
created. Adversity, such as
hitting a brick wall has a way of helping one understand that everything that
can be shaken will be shaken. And
that only God decides on what is to be shaken, and how long the shaking
lasts. Our course of action is to
hang on and hang in. Things will fall off or
die, and only that which is essential to the kingdom will remain – things like
faith, hope, and love. Unlike
reputation, buildings, opinions, and evangelical expectations.
Going Forward
While in many ways a season is ending, we carry forward
values that are eternal. More than
buildings and church names, these values represent a revelation of Christ, and
of his kingdom and church, that transcend time and borders. This revelation is our inheritance that
secures us in the season to come, and causes us to see God’s glory in the
earth.
The new is still unfolding. We are less excited about church buildings and more excited
about reaching the lost and bringing in the harvest. We are hungry for authentic worship, and God’s holy presence
and direction. We want the church
to be less political and predictable, and more relational, organic, forgiving, and simple. We see that the church is more about
being the church – in worship, service, gift and evangelism. It is our passion to know God’s favor
and to come into something new and refreshing that is relevant to God’s
puposes. Clearly it is about being
a people of Word and Spirit, much like the early church.
Our past has set us on an adventurous course that is unusual
to say the least, but isn’t that basically the way of the Spirit. We begin again like we did in the early
years to establish a family of believers that are unrestrained by religion, and
ready to establish a testimony of Christ and his kingdom in the Peterborough
area. We don’t pretend that it’s
going to be easy, but we hope those of like mind will join us in this adventure.
