I thought you all would want to see a little bit of our goodbyes to FBC Colorado Springs:
First, the resignation letter:
My Dear Friends and My Church Family,
On Sunday, March 30, 2008, Jennifer and I accepted a call where I will serve as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Fowler, CO. Thus, I am resigning as the Associate Pastor here at First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs.
This decision comes after much consideration, and we are excited for our journey ahead. At the same time, we are saddened at the awareness that we will not see many of you nearly as often, if at all, after we leave.
I leave First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs feeling good about much of the time we have had together. We have accomplished a lot together. By the end of this summer, our teens will have had the opportunity to participate on five mission trips and attend three summer conferences in the last five years. Our attendance has fluxuated somewhere between 2 and 25 at youth group, and I have done my best to love each and every teen that comes through the door on your behalf. We have also revitalized our young adult ministry with our young couple’s ministry and the CHOW group. In all of these programs and in other endeavors I have enjoyed partnering with you and sharing ministry with you.
Perhaps what I feel best about is how we worked together to build trust with one another. When I showed up, I was the fifth person in five years in my position. The teenagers were tired of just getting to know someone, only to have them leave by that summer. The parents were eager to be supportive, yet were a little bit suspicious as well. With some amazing help, I feel like we slowly came to support and love another.
We move forward not out of anger or animosity, but out of a sense that I was called to be in a place where I could grow in new ways. In my time here, I have felt more and more of a tug to preach, to lead, to have a voice in the direction a church is going, to have a relationship with an entire congregation. And although I love pastoring teenagers and always will (especially ours), after 12 years of youth work I have struggled in the last year or two with trying to come up with new and entertaining youth group games and trying to find new and creative activities to do. In other words, I feel God is leading me to be more of a pastor and less of a programmer.
As Jennifer and I take the next step in our journey of ministry together, we want you to know that you will always have a special place in our hearts. This is the church that Jennifer made her first public profession of faith in and the congregation that clapped and shouted at her baptism. It is the church that Jennifer and I were married in. This is the church where we were able to work with a wonderful group of youth that we love dearly, and where we were hosted weekly for five years by Ken and Robin Chapman for our Wednesday Night CHOW community. You will not be forgotten. You will be treasured.
Then the final article in the newsletter:
By the time that you get this edition of the Tidings, Jennifer and I will both be keeping busy with last minute ministry concerns, and we will be packing like crazy for the movers that are coming on the 29th of April. After that, I will be commuting back and forth a little bit to wrap up things with you here in Colorado Springs. Jennifer’s last day of work in the Springs is the 28th, and she will be transitioning into social work with the developmentally disabled in Otero, Bent, and Crowley counties.
Transitioning from one ministry to another is not an easy venture. On one hand you are eager for the new adventure that is ahead. On the other hand, you are grieving leaving friends you have made over the last five years, and ministering to others by helping them process through that grief as well. Many of you have given us your blessing and support as we go, both affirming our ministry here and affirming God’s call to Fowler. That has made it easier to say goodbye.
Ministry transition is also a challenge because you are moving from a community, friends, problems, and a work that you know into something completely unknown and unfamiliar. It is a risk. I wonder, “What if I fail? What if something doesn’t work out? What if there is no room for growth of the church in this small town?” I think about these things and I fret and worry. Then I realize, that we in the Church are all about faith. And faith is about an active trust in God. So Jen and I have taken the step out on the limb in going where we feel God is leading us, and we believe that we will be taken care of and blessed. As we leave, we are trusting God on our new adventure to Fowler. We are also trusting God that he will take care of you here in Colorado Springs.
Pastor Mike has written a fine cover article for this edition of the Tidings. He has urged you to pray as I Jen and I leave. I urge you to do that as well. I also plead with you to have a passionate, audacious trust in God as you listen to him in regard to what to do next in regard to youth and young adult ministry.
I am trusting that my leaving as Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church will be an awesome opportunity for you to move forward and grow as a church. I know there is the potential for great ministry in the future here in Colorado Springs. I am praying that you will seize that opportunity—even if it takes risk—in faith that God will bless and provide.
At the same time, if I am honest, I am worried about you (Can you tell I have little difficulty letting go?). I am concerned that it will be easy slip into doing what feels safe and easy to cope with all of the staff change (including but not limited to my leaving), instead of having the courage to have a risky and courageous faith. For some of you, I know you will become tempted to be less invested in the young adult and youth ministry of First Baptist Church. I am trusting you won’t surrender to that temptation. Find ways to support the youth, young adults, and the parents of youth as you move forward. Let that support be seen through jumping in to help the Education Team, Parents, and Mike with youth and young adult programming. Also, share your support through having the courage to encourage your church to take the personal and financial risks that staffing support for our young ones may require in the future. Remember, faith is an action word. And, faith works best when you are living on the cutting edge of your faith, completely depending on and clinging to Jesus. We love you. We believe in you. We wish you all the best. God Bless.
Be God’s,
Pastor Clint
First, the resignation letter:
My Dear Friends and My Church Family,
On Sunday, March 30, 2008, Jennifer and I accepted a call where I will serve as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Fowler, CO. Thus, I am resigning as the Associate Pastor here at First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs.
This decision comes after much consideration, and we are excited for our journey ahead. At the same time, we are saddened at the awareness that we will not see many of you nearly as often, if at all, after we leave.
I leave First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs feeling good about much of the time we have had together. We have accomplished a lot together. By the end of this summer, our teens will have had the opportunity to participate on five mission trips and attend three summer conferences in the last five years. Our attendance has fluxuated somewhere between 2 and 25 at youth group, and I have done my best to love each and every teen that comes through the door on your behalf. We have also revitalized our young adult ministry with our young couple’s ministry and the CHOW group. In all of these programs and in other endeavors I have enjoyed partnering with you and sharing ministry with you.
Perhaps what I feel best about is how we worked together to build trust with one another. When I showed up, I was the fifth person in five years in my position. The teenagers were tired of just getting to know someone, only to have them leave by that summer. The parents were eager to be supportive, yet were a little bit suspicious as well. With some amazing help, I feel like we slowly came to support and love another.
We move forward not out of anger or animosity, but out of a sense that I was called to be in a place where I could grow in new ways. In my time here, I have felt more and more of a tug to preach, to lead, to have a voice in the direction a church is going, to have a relationship with an entire congregation. And although I love pastoring teenagers and always will (especially ours), after 12 years of youth work I have struggled in the last year or two with trying to come up with new and entertaining youth group games and trying to find new and creative activities to do. In other words, I feel God is leading me to be more of a pastor and less of a programmer.
As Jennifer and I take the next step in our journey of ministry together, we want you to know that you will always have a special place in our hearts. This is the church that Jennifer made her first public profession of faith in and the congregation that clapped and shouted at her baptism. It is the church that Jennifer and I were married in. This is the church where we were able to work with a wonderful group of youth that we love dearly, and where we were hosted weekly for five years by Ken and Robin Chapman for our Wednesday Night CHOW community. You will not be forgotten. You will be treasured.
Then the final article in the newsletter:
By the time that you get this edition of the Tidings, Jennifer and I will both be keeping busy with last minute ministry concerns, and we will be packing like crazy for the movers that are coming on the 29th of April. After that, I will be commuting back and forth a little bit to wrap up things with you here in Colorado Springs. Jennifer’s last day of work in the Springs is the 28th, and she will be transitioning into social work with the developmentally disabled in Otero, Bent, and Crowley counties.
Transitioning from one ministry to another is not an easy venture. On one hand you are eager for the new adventure that is ahead. On the other hand, you are grieving leaving friends you have made over the last five years, and ministering to others by helping them process through that grief as well. Many of you have given us your blessing and support as we go, both affirming our ministry here and affirming God’s call to Fowler. That has made it easier to say goodbye.
Ministry transition is also a challenge because you are moving from a community, friends, problems, and a work that you know into something completely unknown and unfamiliar. It is a risk. I wonder, “What if I fail? What if something doesn’t work out? What if there is no room for growth of the church in this small town?” I think about these things and I fret and worry. Then I realize, that we in the Church are all about faith. And faith is about an active trust in God. So Jen and I have taken the step out on the limb in going where we feel God is leading us, and we believe that we will be taken care of and blessed. As we leave, we are trusting God on our new adventure to Fowler. We are also trusting God that he will take care of you here in Colorado Springs.
Pastor Mike has written a fine cover article for this edition of the Tidings. He has urged you to pray as I Jen and I leave. I urge you to do that as well. I also plead with you to have a passionate, audacious trust in God as you listen to him in regard to what to do next in regard to youth and young adult ministry.
I am trusting that my leaving as Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church will be an awesome opportunity for you to move forward and grow as a church. I know there is the potential for great ministry in the future here in Colorado Springs. I am praying that you will seize that opportunity—even if it takes risk—in faith that God will bless and provide.
At the same time, if I am honest, I am worried about you (Can you tell I have little difficulty letting go?). I am concerned that it will be easy slip into doing what feels safe and easy to cope with all of the staff change (including but not limited to my leaving), instead of having the courage to have a risky and courageous faith. For some of you, I know you will become tempted to be less invested in the young adult and youth ministry of First Baptist Church. I am trusting you won’t surrender to that temptation. Find ways to support the youth, young adults, and the parents of youth as you move forward. Let that support be seen through jumping in to help the Education Team, Parents, and Mike with youth and young adult programming. Also, share your support through having the courage to encourage your church to take the personal and financial risks that staffing support for our young ones may require in the future. Remember, faith is an action word. And, faith works best when you are living on the cutting edge of your faith, completely depending on and clinging to Jesus. We love you. We believe in you. We wish you all the best. God Bless.
Be God’s,
Pastor Clint
1 comment:
Those were wonderfully written (I read them when you posted them and came back to re-read)- looks like you put a lot of thought and effort into these.
On my dream blog you asked if it was getting harder to remember my dreams. I didn't really notice any difference. I go through seasons where I have a lot and then sometimes not so much. Sometimes it has to do with how much I am woken in the night by a certain restless 5 year old. (5 year olds need to be completely worn out by bed-time otherwise they pop back up at 2am! lol.
I know I have way too many blogs, but did I tell you about my stuffing blog http://mystuffing.blogspot.com/
I don't talk about it on my other blogs as I'm not ready for my mom to read it (she's not a Christian). It's more for what's going on inside me. My brain has been pretty crazy recently. Maybe that does affect my dream life. Not sure.
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