Making Sense Of It All

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.

Good Friday

Friday April 6 marked another great bridge event for River Run.  Bridge events are meant to help connect new families and individuals with Christ, and with the River Run family.

An Easter Egg Hunt and Potluck lunch was hosted in Pioneer Park and Master’s College as part of our Good Friday - Jesus is Alive Celebration.  It was a perfect day and a great setting for the event.  The Park was flooded with baskets being dragged by children across the grass, and parents running to catch up. Several new families joined us in the activities.  Those needing to keep a little warmer watched from the grand windows in the lobby, while others prepared the food.

Jason shared a clear message on the meaning of Easter that placed Jesus front and centre in the celebration of the season.  All were reminded that new beginnings and new life comes from Christ giving his own life.

Crafts and lunch waited for everyone inside the College, and as usual the food was top notch.  Many people lingered to eat, drink, and talk, which made for a great day and successful event.

Thanks to everyone for your participation.

Church Zero

Over recent months I have heard a number of fellow pastors share how several of their long time members had left the church.  Had it been one church experiencing an exodus it would have been one thing, but it was much more than that.  Friends and coworkers were withdrawing from different churches by sending pithy emails or by leaving brief voice messages.  Obviously my friends were deeply concerned, which caused one to say, ‘Please God stop the leak!’  Unfortunately it is more than a leak.  It is a culture.

It is clear that things are shifting.  While the North American population is growing faster than the rate of new birth in the church, and while the church’s dropout rate is over 3 million people annually, there is yet another disturbing sign.  Significant numbers of believers are moving from one church to another for flimsy reasons.  Undoubtedly there is a growing instability in the church.

Much of the shakiness seems to be over what people expect of the church.  Some expect more, while others expect less.  Some want all the options, while others are just tired of keeping the options going.  Some want their needs met, when others are weary of meeting the needs.  Regardless, it is enough for people to sever meaningful and biblical relationships in search of something that agrees with them. 

Or are they actually cutting relationships?  While we prefer to believe that the church is family, it’s actually not, or at least not in practice.  For the most part relationships are superficial or absent.  Generally speaking relationships that build up and shape others are seemingly inessential, and the true body of Christ immaterial.  We might think and imagine family, but our lifestyles and decisions suggest something different.

Itching Ears:

Recently I heard this phrase, ‘what we win people with – is what we win them to.’  More or less it means that people who come to church, based on what it offers and on what it can do for them, will leave for the very same reason they came. 

In the church’s efforts to win people, it has made the needs and expectations of the individual top priority.  Meeting needs and satisfying feelings have seemingly become its mission, while equipping God’s people to do his work is overlooked, Eph. 4:12.  In time the church will fail to meet these expectations – as it has already, and relationships will be surplus.  The typical comment heard will be ‘God is leading us elsewhere.’

Similarly, the apostle Paul warned Timothy that over time people would not bother with Christ and the Word of God, and instead go after their own wishes.  He said, ‘… a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.’  1 Tim. 4:3.  Paul knew that people were prone to shape their faith according to what suited their thinking, rather than with the Word.

The Family Of God:

I believe that the Word of God supports the church being relational or family, where people strengthen each other, work out their differences, and take steps together to extend God’s kingdom.  It is centered on Christ, and on whom we are and are becoming in him.  Each member is carefully joined to the other, while growing together to be the home where God lives by his Spirit.

Furthermore I believe that the modern pattern of church is faulty, and lends to expectations that cannot be sustained.  As a result it burns out those who try to keep it going, and gives way to a revolving door that unsettles and obstructs God’s house.

What’s more the church has become fickle, much like the world.  By and large people have grown increasingly intolerant, fussy, and unreliable, while spiritual qualities like self-denial, perseverance, faithfulness, and joy have faded away.  The church is too easily bored, offended and dissatisfied, and no longer has the time, interest or staying power to become Christ-like. 

It is the age of Church-Zero.  It’s like the real thing, but with fewer calories.  It looks and tastes similar, and satisfies the immediate need.

Raising The Bar On Being A Disciple:

It’s doubtful the answer is found in modifying the church system, and more probable the answer is in us (the believer) rediscovering what it is to be a real disciple of Christ.

We need to lower the bar on how church is done, and raise the bar on what it means to follow Christ, because the church is rooted in believers obeying Christ.  It is essential that we relearn how to love the Lord with all our heart, and how to take up our cross and follow him – at any cost.  We must intimately realize the deep love of Christ, and be filled with the fullness of him.  We must know him who is able to do more than we can ever ask or imagine.  We must live a life of love found in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Only then, can the church become what Christ has intended.

Jesus said, ‘those of you who do not give up everything cannot be my disciples,’ Lu. 14:33.  He also said, ‘go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, Mt. 28:19-20.  Jesus was less concerned with the system of church and more concerned about people becoming disciples by obeying him and his Word.

If every believer denied him or herself and followed Christ, the church would be less opinionated and more harmonious.  If believers were filled with the Spirit, the church would be more outgoing and less inward looking.  If believers contributed their gifts and abilities, more would be creative and fulfilled.  If believers knew the Word of God and obeyed it, there would be more stability.

‘If’, suggests that there is a choice – to do or not to do.  The revolving doors in churches, the dropout rate among Christians, and the church’s barrenness are easily solved if we choose so.  Will we chose to be disciples or will we opt for Church-Zero?