Sheila Dougal

I came across a quote the other day about writing down the ways you’ve witnessed God’s faithfulness. When they’re actually happening, don’t wait. Write it down. The idea is that someday you’ll need to look back and remind yourself of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Because you’ll forget. 

So here I am recording the witnessed faithfulness of God in my local church. 

In July my church’s pastor and his family, who we dearly love, moved out of state to be closer to their parents and pastor another church. Honestly it hurt a lot. It still hurts. I love them and I miss them. 

I think it was about 9 or 10 years ago when my previous church pastor, who I love, moved away with his wife. The elders of that church helped the small congregation find new churches as they didn’t believe they could find a new pastor to lead our small church. So when my current church’s pastor moved away I was worried. I had been through the grief and loss of a loved church family and pastor before. I didn’t want to go through it again.

But I have witnessed something so encouraging in these past few months. Let this blog be a public cairn, reminding me, here, in 2023, in my small suburban SBC church I witnessed the faithfulness of God and his people.

When our pastor moved away in July the two young men who had just begun serving as elders in our church, along with our church’s young (when I say young I mean all younger than my 49 year old self) staff, committed themselves to bearing the weight of leading us through the time it would take to find a new pastor. 

These elders have full time jobs, young families with toddler children. They could have easily said, “I can’t do this,” and no one would have blamed them. But they cared for this church. They prayed and worked to prepare sermons and continue the behind the scenes labor it takes to keep a church healthy. They shepherded God’s flock, not leading out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have them; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not Lording it over the people God entrusted to them, but they were examples to the flock. (My application of 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭3‬).

Yesterday the man who will likely be our new pastor, and his wife, worshiped with us. The prospective pastor preached a sermon I needed to hear. And I thanked God that at a time when it seems hard to find a healthy church and high-profile stories of church pastors and leaders exposed for their greed and abuse keep popping up, I have a church whose leaders willingly serve us. 

Thank you, Lord! And thank you Rob and Alyssa, Tyler and Judy and the staff at Grace Point Church. May God richly bless you!