saying good bye to dear friends

Well, last night we had a "going away" dinner for Pat and Lora Henderson. They have been with us for almost 26 years, and are so very dear to us. They, along with their daughter Jenna and her husband Dave Natelborg, are moving to Cave Junction, Oregon to plant a daughter church. I can't say how dear these two have been to us over the years. They were our only Sunday night children's ministers when our church was still young, and they without complaint were there for this church, week after week for years, in a time when few people were coming to church and even less were serving. Their daughters are true gems, and are a great testimony to a godly dad and mom. It is going to be very difficult seeing them go, but they left in the right way, with tears, prayers, friends, and a lot of love. So many people just get up and leave their church, without a good-bye, thank you, I love you, or anything else, they just melt out the door and sadly, complain that nobody noticed they are gone. Sometimes they go to other churches, taking gripes and complaints with them, and then invite their friends to join them. New churches are always more exciting, especially churches that are just starting out, and many find them alluring. It's like a new relationship: it is exciting, charming, refreshing, and oh so new! So, people leave, but so very often, they draw others with them. Not so with Pat and Lora, as they left with love and a blessing and will be sorely missed. Perhaps some of you reading this blog have decided to leave your church, for the new church down the road and know it is time to go. Praise the Lord how He leads you, and it is great to be free to go where He leads. My encouragement to you would be to say good-bye to your pastor and your church leaders, and get plugged in at your new church as soon as you can. I would also encourage you to resist the temptation of inviting your friends to go with you. As the Lord led you, He can also lead your friends if He so desires. It is wrong to invite somebody to leave a church based on your dissatisfaction: if you have issues it is always best to resolve them, biblically. Then, you can leave in good conscience, and if you should run across former church members, or your former pastor or his wife, you can look them in the face and say hello without that awkward pause I have gone through so many times! Pat, Lora, Dave, and Jenna left in the right way, and we will miss them but will always have fond memories of them.