Change

Change.  It is hard.  It is scary.  It is uncomfortable. 

But I have learned that Change is inevitable and how you embrace the Change makes all of the difference in the world.

We have gone to a small church near our house for the last 8 years.  We have loved it.  The people there are unbelievable and have walked by our side through some of the hardest and darkest days of our lives.  They brought us meals and let us cry on their shoulders when our beloved father/father-in-law/Grandpa died unexpectly 8 years ago.  They stayed the night at our house with our older kids on the night our youngest son was born so that all of our family could be at the hospital.  They embraced us worship leaders and ministry partners.  They invited us to lunch and played with our kids.  They loved us for who we were and helped show us potiential we didn't even know exisited.

Our church has been through a lot these last 8 years.  People have come and gone.  Conflict has arisen.  The enemy has tried to take control.  We couldn't see God's plan and we questioned, wondered and prayed.  It felt a little like we were wandering in the desert.  But we were faithful.  And we followed.  And we served.

Now God has revealed his plan.  He was working through the conflict and the pain.  He had a plan that was so big and wonderful.  But He waited for His perfect timing to reveal it to us. 

We have 10 acres of land that we haven't used to its potiential.  God was waiting for the perfect plan.  We had a fun, loving congregation and people who love Him and want to serve Him.  We want to reach our neighborhood and bring healing the hurting people, but we were small.

A nearby church has also been serving, loving and reaching people.  They have a fun, loving congregation of people who love Him and want to serve Him.  But their needs were a little different.  They needed a place to grow.  And we needed more people to help make our vision reach it's potiential.  Do you see what God was doing?

Our churches, from two different denominations, two different congregations, two different, but ajoining neighborhoods are becoming one.  How cool is that?  Our pastors and leadership realized that we can't do it alone and that God was calling us to join together.  How often does this happen?  Never.  Churches are made of sinful people that often need to fulfill their own agendas and egos.  They aren't willing to look at another church and realize that they NEED each other.  But God was calling our leadership and they listened and put aside their own agendas.

We are all working for the same goal.  To reach people and bring the love, hope and healing of Jesus to hurting people who NEED God.  Can't we work together? 

So we have merged.  We are working together to IMPACT Southwest Denver. 

Belleview was our home and we loved it.  But now we are The Rock and I love our philosophy.  Real Church for Real People.  Come all you who are weak and weary.  Let us love you and pick you up and you do the same for us.

Easter Sunday will be our last Sunday at Belleview and then we will all be going to The Rock while they break ground on a new facility on our old property.  It is going to be hard.  People are going to be uncomfortable.  They aren't going to know all of the songs.  The worship is going to be different.  The sermons are going to be different.  Change is hard.

But let me give you hope, people of Belleview.  God is working.  He is good and He stretches us.

The kids and I visited our new church family this morning.  I felt like I was cheating on my Belleview family.  It was hard for me to go this morning.  To not see my husband up there leading the congregation with the talent God has given him.  To not know a single worship song.  To not know many people.  Change is hard.  Did I dislike it?  Quite the opposite.  I loved it.  It just made me a little sad.

And then I went and picked up my kids.  THEY LOVED IT!!!  It brought be such joy to see my kids bounding out of their Sunday school classes joyful, happy and LOVING the new.  We can learn a lot from our children.  My oldest said...."the high schoolers led worship for us.  I only knew one of the songs, but I loved hearing all of the new ones and just sang right along".  How cool is that?  They can't wait to go back.  Change is easy for them.  They embrace it.

Lord, help all of us embrace this new change.  And may we seek You with child-like fervor.

And if you need a place to be loved, embraced and given a good dose of truth and hope, come visit The Rock of the Southwest at 9 or 10:35 on a Sunday morning.  God is doing great things there.  And you can be yourself.  Real Church for Real People.