When I typed that title I thought of the lenses that change tinting according to the sunlight exposure. I’m not really going to write about those lenses except to note that they are a reactionary transition as opposed to a proactive transition. They are built to react to the sunlight and offer protection and comfort to those who are wearing them.
So what does that have to do with anything?? Glad you asked!
This is a time of major transitions in and around our lives:
1. Spring is now in full gear around our town, and it is BEAUTIFUL!! I am so thankful for the season changes and the transition times as winter struggles with spring and the beauty that God has built into that time is shown.
2. Our ministry is moving into a new facility for youth and children. We have been blessed to be able to build a nicely equipped auditorium for student ministry with a cafe, kitchen, lobby, and office facility! What an exciting time this is! During this time we are also re-casting our vision to Drink Deep of Christ and Flow to Others from Campuses to Continents.
3. Our church is in the process or transitioning Senior Pastor leadership. Johnny Miller made it known a few years ago that he is nearing the end in his current role. So we as a church are looking for the healthiest way to keep moving the ministry forward as we evaluate the current strengths and weaknesses and determine the profile of a potential new Senior Pastor. A very important time in the life of a local church body! Thanks for your prayers!
4. Yesterday Greg and Allison Despres made the public announcement that they are transitioning to a new season of life and ministry, moving to South Carolina. Greg has been leading our student ministry team for almost 9 years and is the one who initiated the contact for Mandy and I to move up here (with just Addie at that time) over 8 years ago. It has been a great season of our life to work alongside of them and grow deep in friendship. We have experienced and learned so much together. And being so far from family they are like our family, coming to the hospital with coffee and dunkin donuts when Isabelle had her first seisure, sharing holiday meals together, helping one another with house projects, borrowing things back and forth, caring for each other’s children when things come up, and COUNTLESS other things! Our whole family has shed tears on this one (although I think Owen was crying because he hit is head!) and we have more tears to shed as we help them do what needs to be done to move a family.
So with every life transition, there is a bit of healthy reaction and healthy proactive movement.
With the coming of spring, you put away the heavy coats, clean up the wood pile on the porch and start working on the yard again…complete with planting a garden, because you know the fruits will come in the summer! I can’t wait until I can take a bite of those juicy home-grown tomatoes!
With the moving into a new facility you order the things you need, recruit help to move, re-cast the vision, and look forward to continued fruit to come through expanded ministry opportunities.
With the process of looking for a new Senior pastor, you rejoice in all the fruit that God has given through the ministry and seek God for the direction of the future, realizing that HE is the one who causes growth and will raise up the person to continue the abundance of fruitful ministry in our community and around the world.
And with the transition of the Despres’ we, through the tears, rejoice in what God is doing to expand His Kingdom. Realizing that He is growing a beautiful garden year after year. We anxiously work and await the Spirit of God to bring a bumper-crop of fruit both in the Despres family in South Carolina and in the ministry of Calvary Church Student Ministry as we continue the vision, and continue building the ministry team for the future. The unknown sometimes causes us to be fearful, but as we follow God, the one who knows all things, we can cast fear of circumstances aside and pursue Him with a greater passion, knowing that He gives and takes away, but He always provides. We worship Him in this transition!
Thanks for your prayers as we all TOGETHER build the Kingdom of God, being the life of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit both locally and globally!!
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