Vineyard Church of Knox County
The Coming Transition
Well, here we are at the precipice of moving into the building God has provided for us, the Vineyard Church, as a base of operations in Knox County. We'll start meeting there for Sunday services on Sunday, December 17th, a day for us as a church family to prepare the building for our grand opening on January 7th. It's a bit hard to believe that Project: Renovation is nearing completion and we'll actually have a building from which to operate, isn't it? I have many mixed emotions and a jumble of thoughts, so I think it would be good for us to think about this transition time together. That's why I'm writing this Cornerstone with more to come in the next few weeks. Much like a couple who is preparing for the birth of their first child, it's important for us to think through what's happening so we can be prepared for the transition to a new phase of life. So, here are some things to think about...
1. It’s going to take awhile to feel “at home.” Have you ever moved into a new house or apartment? We built our house and moved in two years ago and I remember that it took us several weeks and maybe even a few months to start to feel at “home” in our home. Some possessions didn’t find homes for several weeks. Some parts of the house still needed to be finished. We had to get used to where the light switches were, then had to learn which ones controlled the fans and which ones controlled the lights. We didn’t feel comfortable walking around in the dark for fear of stubbing a toe, banging a nose on a wall, or falling down stairs. But after awhile, things found homes and switches became second nature and we could stumble around in the dark without much risk of bodily injury. We don’t know when it happened, but at some point our house became our home. So, it may take several weeks and even months to feel at home in our building. Things will take time to find a place, and procedures may take time to perfect, and furniture may take time to move to just the right places. But eventually, the building will become “home” to us. It will probably take awhile, so let’s be patient and willing to help with the transition.
2. We’ll need time to adjust. I’m sure Kirtene and I will go through a serious adjustment period when the little one arrives in our home, and I’m sure our church family will take some time to adjust to the building. We’ve never been a church family with a church building before, so we will have to get used to what that means. The building provides us with great opportunities for ministry to the community, but it will take some time to really take advantage of those opportunities as we learn how to use the building. We’re in no hurry to fill the church calendar with events and the church ministries with programs. We’ll need some time to adjust, so we can be patient in God’s direction. The building also provides us with a great opportunity for sacrifice as it is a wonderful gift from God that He has entrusted to us to care for. Therefore, we’ll have to learn what it means to be good stewards of the building. God will help us adjust to our new role as stewards just as He’ll help me and Kirtene to adjust to our new role as parents.
3. It won’t be perfect. I’ve read some books on parenting and most of them tell me that my child won’t be perfect, that is, she probably won’t do exactly what I want her to do all the time. Is that true? Of course! But she’ll be perfect to us, right? Well, I suggest we have the same attitude toward the building (notice I’m not calling it “the church"), meaning that we know it won’t be perfect in every way that we might want it to be, but we can love it in its uniqueness. We humans aren’t perfect, but we are deeply loved. The building may not be the most comfortable church building; it may not be the most attractive church building; it may not be the most appealing church building; but it’s OUR building that God has given us, so we can love it simply for that fact. Can you love a building that isn’t perfect? What is “perfect” anyway?
4. The process never ends. Yes, Project: Renovation may be coming an end, but God’s work on us will never end. I think it’s important for us to remember that moving into the building doesn’t mean we have “arrived” at some kind of final destination in the life of the church. The Vineyard Church will go through many, many transitions in its life between many, many seasons of ministry. As with our lives of faith, we never fully arrive, the adventure never ends, though it does have an ebb and flow to it. So, I see this time as the ending of one phase in the life of the church and the beginning of another. This phase will eventually transition into another (another building?—don’t even think it yet!), and that one will transition into another and on and on. As in the life of a child where there are momentous occasions—walking, talking, turning 16, graduating, turning 21, and so on—there are momentous occasions in the life of a church, and we are experiencing one now. In both cases, they represent both an ending and a beginning. At these times we celebrate what God has done and look forward to what God will do. So we’ll take time to celebrate on January 7th for sure, then we’ll turn to God with this prayer, “Ok, what’s next?” I expect He’ll say something like this, “For now, relax and enjoy the ride we’ve been on together; but soon I’ve got some big plans for you.”
