shock and awe

it happened more quickly than i could have imagined. within about a half a week, all three members of my pastoral advisory team (the senior leadership team of the bridge) stepped down and announced that they and their families were leaving the church. that probably wouldn't be welcome news in any church, but in a congregation with about 40 adults, the news was mount st. helens.

in the bridge people gathering (a meeting for the core of our church) where they made the announcement they shared the following:

• their decisions were arrived at independently.
• they are not leaving as a result of personal conflict.
• family needs (all of these families have relatively older children) were a significant factor in choosing to move on.
• they have a growing conviction that the next leadership of the church should be younger and have a greater affinity for renton, and see this as an opportunity for the next generation of folks to step up.
• they feel satisfied that God has used them to help establish the bridge and feel released by God to move on.
• they expressed their appreciation and love for the people of the bridge and said that was the hardest part of deciding to move on.

people have experienced the full range of emotions -- from grief to anger to feelings of abandonment. some are losing sleep. the suddenness and close proximity of the decisions left me wrestling with my own feelings of loss, wondering what happened, and seeking God for what he is saying in this. not surprisingly, this has been a time of anxiety for some and upheaval for all of us. many meetings and conversations are on the horizon. pray through with us -- there is no other way!