On Reflections

Christmas brings out memories in us. We remember our childhood, and the traditions, special people and presents that filled those early Christmas mornings. And as we age, each year adds to the treasure trove of memories, with new places and people taking on staring roles as we move away from parents, establish our own families, and experience the life changes that career building inevitably brings. We trace our journey through different cities, houses, jobs, and relationships and remember the way Christmas happened differently along the way.

But this year I am finding that Christmas memories are doing more than help me trace my personal and family history. They also are serving to underscore that fact that our family future is about to turn yet another corner, taking us into a new city and ministry position with all the changes and challenges that move will entail. Where will our family be decorating the tree next year? How will our favorite traditions fit into a new community, and new church family? Where will I be hanging the stockings next year, and how will we light the next house? What will we be missing that we now enjoy, and what will we have discovered as new and exciting? These questions and many others creep into my mind, poignantly reminding me that change and the prevailing "unknown" are about to encroach on the stability and comfortable "known" of my life.

Christmas is a time of surety and security for me. It comes in ways that remind me of how good and ordered and comfortable my life and family are. I have come to expect - indeed, rely on - certain things about my Christmas and when they happen, I feel settled and filled with the joy of certainty. But, this year, Christmas is being played out against the backdrop of change as we are pressed to think about packing up a household, finding interim housing, leaving a greatly loved congregation, living out of suitcases, and just generally accepting the fact that we aren't going to experience the order and security of the "known" for the next 2-3 months.

And so, what to do? Only this: I am reflecting on the fact that what really makes Christmas secure is the same no matter what city or house I am in. Jesus Christ, my Savior, is not limited to a place or a circumstance. He is mine, and I am His. And as a Death Cab For Cutie song says "He could have done better than me, but I could never do better than Him." So, in my times of despondency, I go past those traditions that have always brought normalcy to my Christmas, and land at Jesus. He never disappoints, and never disappears. And while I know how weird it is for me - a pastor - to "discover" how fulfilling it is to center on Jesus at Christmas (duh!), I must admit that this year the reality of Jesus is much more exciting for me. He is my staying power, my confident and consistent stability, and being my Lord, He is the only One whose "well done" I am obligated to pursue. May your Christmas be filled with Him!

Hope this helps,

David

Rough Spots Made Smooth

It seems that my last post, intended to clear up the use of "rough spots" was seen as vague. And, it truth, it was intended to be so. Here's the deal: I am very thankful for the process we went through, and intended my post on Changes to be for the Northpoint crowd who were primarily interested in the "why" behind my decision to engage in Grace Baptist's process. It is not my intention to engage anonymous comment makers in theological discussion on my blog. These discussions are best done face to face, with an open Bible and an open mind. So, if you want to engage me further, sign your name, and let's see if we can grab some time over coffee.

However, I would like to take one more shot at clearing up some of the ambiguity simply because some of you readers seem always to think the worst. In fact, the unity of heart between me and the leaders of Grace is true, warm, and wonderful.

As for the process itself, it was thorough. As mentioned previously, any thorough process asks questions in major and even minor areas of theology and life. As I entered the discussions, I felt there might be some "fleece" moments. By this I mean areas where I have strong beliefs which, in some circles, might not be appreciated. I fully considered, given that the leadership and search team at Grace had already spent 2 years examining 50+ men, that the chances of my not fitting their grid were potentially significant. So, I went in knowing that some areas would be like Gideon's fleece: opportunities for God to radically change my direction.

When questioned in these areas, I was very careful to be open, forthright, winsome, and biblical. I was also careful to listen as the discussions progressed, to find out where my potential fellow-leaders were in their understanding so that I would not waste time chasing straw men, or tilting at windmills.

One such area was that of Christian liberty. I made it very clear that any standard by which standing in grace and spiritual maturity would be judged must do justice to all applicable biblical data. Simply put: I am not, nor will I ever be, a legalistic auditor of those things which the Bible does not consider marks of the indwelling Spirit. I don't think I can put it plainer than that. I do believe that there are undeniable marks of the Spirit in the believer, and I point the reader to Gardiner Spring's wonderful little book "Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character" for a more full discussion of the biblical teaching on this subject. I take a strong position against those legalistic boundaries which cannot be supported by the Bible, while having equally strong beliefs that the Christian should be conspicuous in his zeal for Christ, passion for the lost, delight in holiness, knowledge and obedience to the Word, and a sunny, winsome way of following Christ with a smile on his face. As Philips Brooks has said "The religion that makes a man look sick certainly won’t cure the world!"

The second "fleece" area was that of the sovereignty of God in salvation, with all its attendant circumstances in the area of soteriology (the doctrine of Salvation). I am openly an historical Calvinist, and believe fully that my only confidence in presenting the Gospel both here and abroad is the knowledge that the Almighty has both planned and accomplished redemption through Jesus Christ, and has granted me the privilege of being His delivery system to the world. As the Gospel is spread - something I simply delight to do! - the Spirit may be pleased to ride on it into the heart, bringing life, conviction, repentance, and saving faith. This is the glorious adventure we as Christ-followers are privileged to be engaged in, and being part of that Kingdom work is our greatest delight! As I presented my theology to the leadership of Grace, our hearts were united in mutual love for, and excitement over, the finished work of Christ, and the guarantee that God's rescue plan is right on time, and will be accomplished fully to His glory. This wonderful plan to rescue creation will not be overruled either by the opposition of His enemies, nor the disobedience of His own people. Yet, it is our honor to be obedient, to play on His team, to get off the bench and into the game so that our love may be fully displayed, and His grace and love fully extolled.

One of the previous anonymous comments questioned the theology of pastoral leadership wondering if that of Northpoint and Grace were compatible. Stifling the urge to be cynical, I can only say that I would not be candidating at Grace if we did not agree on the nature of the church and its leadership. I believe fully in the team leadership approach exemplified in the NT by the consistent use of "elders" in the plural. Like Northpoint, Grace is led by a group of godly, qualified men, affirmed by the congregation, who partner with the Lead Pastor, or Sr. Pastor, whatever term you want to use. In neither case is the supremacy of Christ as the Chief Shepherd undermined. As Lead Pastor or Sr. Pastor (you pick!) my role will be to "exercise oversight ... not lording it over, but proving to be an example to the flock" as Peter declares in 1 Peter 5.

As I mentioned previously, it has been a singular privilege for me to be involved in this process. Grace Baptist offers me the opportunity to both lead and learn; to partner with leaders who have been blessed of God in their ministries, as well as work with them to reach new levels of influence for Christ and His Kingdom.

Hope this helps,

David

Rough Spots

In my previous post, on changes that lie ahead for Cherylyn and I, I mentioned that during the discussions with the Elders at Grace Baptist Church, there had been some very serious discussions. I even mentioned that along the way we had encountered “rough spots” in the road. Some have wondered about that, so let me explain further.

As you might hope, the Grace team understood the serious nature of their task. They were accountable both to Christ and the Grace family to verify that the man they presented to the congregation was, to the best of their knowledge, the man God had chosen for Grace. A very sobering task! And, to do so they were committed to look everywhere, especially in the areas of the man’s life and theology, with care and wisdom. And so, again as you would hope, no subject was off limits. Our discussions covered the nature of the church, the sovereignty of God in salvation, the theology of the cross, the obligatory discussion of eschatological schemes, and a host of other less controversial topics. We also spoke of the more practical issues of Christian liberty and life. Along the way we listened and spoke carefully, testing everything under the lens of Scripture. And, in what was for me a providential sign that God was in this, we came to recognize and rejoice in a one-ness of heart and mind.

In many ways, our discussions were like a journey down a long and sometimes deeply rutted road. As we drove, where the road was smooth, we sped along. But when we hit the rough spots, we were forced to slow down and examine everything a bit more carefully. In reality, these “rough spots” were the cause of some wonderfully serious discussions which led to greater understanding, greater agreement, and consequently, greater trust.

The process through which I was lovingly and prayerfully led by the leaders at Grace has left me believing that our partnership will be a good one for many years to come. We will learn from one another, and teach one another, and probably disagree with one another from time to time. Yet, our mutual commitment to the message and mission of Christ will cause us to deal with our differences differently, bringing them to the Word and seeking to be of one mind. That’s the way of wisdom; that’s what it means to seek the mind of Christ. We’ve started our partnership that way, and that’s a very good sign that it will remain healthy into the future.

Hope this helps,

David

Changes

There are rumors floating around that Cherylyn and I may be leaving our home of 15 years, and our incredible Northpoint Church family, to take up the challenge of pastoral leadership at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, California.

The truth is that I will, indeed, be candidating at Grace January 24,25 and January 31,February 1. Then, if the Grace family affirms the unanimous recommendation of Grace's Leadership Team, we will be moving to Grace as Lead Pastor in the hope of bringing added value to an already thriving ministry. This decision to re-locate has been neither easy nor was it sought after by us. Corona continues to be a wonderful place to live, and we have greatly enjoyed raising our children in this friendly city. And Northpoint Church has been our life, our family, the place we have always considered to be the center of our universe. Nothing has happened to change our opinions or love for the people and ministry of Northpoint, or the comfort of the Corona community.

Many have asked me, in light of our contentedness at Northpoint, how we came to our decision. And so, in order to get the answer available in a way that is carefully thought out and available, here we go. And this may get a bit long so hang on!

In August of 2007 my good friend Shannon Barnes announced that he would be leaving Northpoint. Immediately after that announcement, Cherylyn and I left for 3 weeks of vacation - as is our August custom - to the Pacific Northwest. A wonderful ocean front home had been made available to us by our good friends Paul and Chris Hammann, and I took the time to carefully and intentionally consider my future. Northpoint had moved into a new facility. More was now expected of our church, and of me as a primary leader. I considered the challenges that lay ahead, and determined that staying at Northpoint would demand much of me, but that such demands were in the best interests of all concerned. We returned to Northpoint in September ready to move forward, and God greatly blessed our congregation during the next year. Even the loss of Mark Spansel and Robert Campbell (who both took preaching positions) only confirmed that God was using Northpoint not only as a teaching and reaching church, but also as a training and sending church. We were able to quickly fill those positions as Scott Burns moved into Adult Ministries, and Jason Miller came on board in the area of Outreach and Community. We also promoted Ken Flower to oversee Student Ministries, and brought Bill Blakey on board to work in Junior High ministries. The addition of Ronnie Martin and Glenn Pickett in the area of Worship Ministries brought the staff back to full strength, and we have experienced no drop off in our community presence, or discipleship efforts.

In March, 2008 I attended K-Club, a gathering of pastors of churches of 1000 or more sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church leadership. During one lunch discussion, 5 of the pastors there along with myself came to realize that we had all been at our churches about 15 years, and we all were in our early 50's. Someone brought up the idea that he was carefully considering just how to best use his remaining 15-20 years in ministry. I can remember thinking "I know where I'll be: At Northpoint!"

So, along about now you're wondering just where this is going! But I needed you to know that at no time did my heart start "leaving" Northpoint, in spite of the fact that we said "goodbye" to Mark and Robert, and that many of my pastoral peers were talking about transition.

Before I go on, let me say that I am not exactly sure of the following dates. I may be off by a week or more, so please don't accuse me of lying if one or more turns out to be inexact. It was on June 29 - Mark Spansel' last Sunday - that I came into my office early in the morning around 6 am. Since Mark was preaching, I took the time to pray for him, and for Northpoint. And then I did what I never do: I listened to a message on my office phone voice mail. It was from Dr. John Stead, who had been one of my profs in college, and had been used of the Lord in a steady and mighty way in my life. It was his devotional from Romans 12:1,2, taught in a dorm Bible Study that put me on the road to pastoral ministry. Over the years, Dr. Stead has been a good friend, and mentor of sorts, and hearing his voice on my machine really got my attention. He simply stated that he had given my name to his church's Leadership Team as a possible candidate for their open Lead Pastor position. He told me that they may be calling and asked that I consider the opportunity.

Over the past 15 years I had received several inquiries, and had consistently refused to reply or consider any of them. But, when Dr. Stead asked me to consider it, I felt that, if Grace called, I would honor his standing in my life and at least have a conversation. I did not call Grace, nor try to contact them in any way. It was my decision just to stay passive, and leave any further contact up to them. That contact did not come for several weeks. (I learned later that those to whom Dr. Stead had given my name had lost it, and only found it through a happy providence some weeks later!) Sometime in late July, I received a call from Geoff Beckwith and Mike Wilke asking if we could talk for a few minutes. As a favor to Dr. Stead, I decided to listen and answer their questions. I was immediately struck by the fact that their questions were much different than those usually asked in such situations. They didn't want a resume; they didn't want to know any of the usual "stuff." They wanted to hear about my heart for the church, preaching, and my family. We even had some humorous moments, and I remember thinking "these guys seem real." My final suggestion to them was to listen to 3 of my sermons online. In my mind, if they didn't resonate with my preaching, I had nothing else to offer.

(Note: Some months before a head hunter for a very large church in SoCal had approached me about their vacant teaching pastor position. Knowing that the philosophy and theological environment of that church were not aligned with mine, I told the guy to listen to my preaching before deciding if they wanted to pursue me. He did, and one week later called saying "We listened to 2 of your sermons, and you're right: we don't like your preaching!" Needless to say, that hurt even though I knew it was coming!).

After the July conversation, Cherylyn and I left on August 7 to spend the rest of the month on the East Coast teaching at 2 weeks of Family Camp in New Hampshire, and taking 10 days of vacation. It was during our first week at Camp Berea that Geoff and Mike sent a text asking if we could arrange another phone call. Cherylyn and I went up to our little cabin, put the Blackberry on speaker, and waited for their call. I told my wife "I bet they didn't like my preaching either." But, when they called they said they had appreciated what they had heard, and wanted to know if we would be willing to meet with them when we returned. We took the next weeks to think and pray about that.

During those weeks, we took stock of our lives and our station in life. We talked about the fact that our kids were all grown and mostly gone; that we wanted to spend our last 15-20 years in active ministry maximizing our abilities and opportunities. We decided that Northpoint offered most everything we wanted, but that we would also take one step at a time with Grace. We determined that we would move forward cautiously to see if, in fact, this opportunity was coming to us from God's hand.

Through the months of September and October, we spent several afternoons and evenings in Santa Clarita meeting first with the Search Team, and then with the Pastoral Team, and Leadership Team of Grace. The process was very thorough, and impressively professional, but most importantly, was refreshingly gracious and prayerful. We were so grateful for the way we were cared for, and encouraged to do only that which we were confident was pleasing to God.

There were some rough spots, where my views both practically and theologically opened up serious discussions. But in the end, it was evident that the Lord has given us all "one mind". When the search process was complete, and the Elders voted to present me to the Grace family as the man they believed God had crafted for Grace, I was pleased to affirm that, if the congregation agreed, I would come to Grace Baptist Church.

I announced my participation in Grace's search process to the Northpoint Leadersip Team on Nov. 10th. At that meeting, I was numb, and really don't remember too much of what I said. I know it was short and to the point, and left the men in the room speechless. Then, Mark Kiker determined that we needed to pray, and he led in what I will always remember as an amazing, almost Apostolic plea to God, filled with memories, petitions, and praise. I left the meeting shortly after that in tears knowing that I had been greatly blessed to serve with a group of men whose hearts were soft to the mission of Christ.

And so, Cherylyn and I are in the middle of an odyssey. The Elders have asked that my last Sunday preaching at Northpoint be January 18. Then I candidate at Grace the following two weekends. If the Grace family affirms my candidacy, we'll be re-locating to Santa Clarita in late February/early March.

The opportunity at Grace will allow me to spend my final ministry years doing the things I believe God has gifted me to do: preach, lead, and write. Additionally, Cherylyn and I are looking forward to being back in the college environment. Opportunities to teach and interact with students at The Masters College will offer us the same exciting challenges we enjoyed so many years ago on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University.

Cherylyn and I have, over the past months, spent much time praying and contemplating this decision. We have not come to our conclusion quickly, or easily. Our love for Northpoint has never diminished, nor is there anything at Northpoint that we are trying to escape. We simply believe that the Lord is moving us from one field of harvest to another. Our hearts are united in this belief, and we are mutually encouraged by the way God has worked independently in our hearts to bring us to the same level of assurance and excitement.

As for Northpoint, I am convinced that the family is strong, grounded in mission, and will face the challenges with the right focus. We have never considered anyone but Jesus to be the true Sr. Pastor of the church, and it is at times like this that our allegiance to Him must take precedence. Northpoint is blessed with a very capable staff, and an experienced, spiritually mature group of elders. Yes, this will be a time of challenge; but it is a challenge to "be" the church in Corona. The community has very recently come to view Northpoint as a vital partner, and a place where truth and love mingle, and Christ is truly glorified. This presents the best possible foundation for further progress for the Gospel. But this will, as well, be a call to deep prayer and commitment to the mission of Christ.

For those of you who are disappointed in our decision, we offer no defense other than our belief that this came to us from God, and is intended for His glory. For those of you who are sad, but happy for us, we thank you for your encouragement and love, and promise to pray for you as well.

The friendships and ministry partnerships we have enjoyed over the past 15 years at Northpoint have been used of God to grow us, encourage us, temper us, and fit us for what God intends to do through us in our remaining years. If God grants our desire to partner with Grace Baptist Church, it will not be because we have outgrown Northpoint or in any way become dissatisfied with God's work there. Rather, it will be because God has willed it so. Beyond that, we seek no other answers except the privilege of prayful obedience until He calls us home.

Hope this helps,


David