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From the Manse June 2005
And the boys? Well they’re all different aren’t they? But David and Christine are proud of them all, and they have a right to be. I’ll be proud if my sons grow up as bright, as funny, as courteous, as sparky as David and Christine’s boys. Our prayer is that they’ll grow up yet more godly and useful than their parents. So, David, Christine, Timothy, Thomas, Peter, Nathanael, Joshua, Benjamin, we’re grateful to you, we love you, we’ll miss you. But now, what about us who remain? What does David & Christine’s departure mean for us? Let me list five things. Firstly, we must continue to support them all - and especially David in his new ministry. David will no longer be a member of this church. He’ll be a member of the church at Leytonstone, answerable to that church, exercising his gifts in that church, under the oversight of that church, looking to that church first and foremost for fellowship and support. But we will still have a duty to pray for him, to encourage him, to support him in practical and spiritual ways. Paul only stayed in Philippi for a relatively short space of time, but that church continued to support him long after he had moved on. He saw them as partners in his gospel work to the end of his life. In prison in Rome, he could write ‘I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now’ (Philippians 1:5). That partnership showed itself in different ways. They were partners with him ‘in giving and receiving’ (Philipp 4:15-16) sending financial help again and again. They exchanged news with him, rejoiced with him in his joys, grieved with him in his sorrows, prayed with him in everything (Philipp 1: 7,19; 2:19,25). Could Paul have done his work without the support of the Philippian Christians far away? Being ‘partners in the gospel’ with David and Christine will also mean that we have a special bond with the church in Leytonstone. Their elders and deacons have emphasised that there should be fellowship between the two churches. What will that mean in practice? It could mean many things. I’m sure David will come back and preach for us from time to time. Perhaps I - and other men from this church - could preach there. Our teenagers and theirs could make sure that they book in for the same summer camps. Perhaps we could even organise a joint children’s camp or church houseparty some time. Young people going away to study in London will make Forest their home church. Young people coming from London to Manchester to study will come to GBCS. Perhaps we could even persuade David to carry on producing evangelistic leaflets to be used by both churches, with just the contact details different. Above all, we’ll be praying for that church. They’ll be praying for us. Secondly, we must be very careful to maintain unity at this time. I wrote recently in this bulletin about times of change and how dangerous they can be. We all feel restless and unsettled during times of change. We become tense and overreact to things. Decisions have to be made - who’s going to take over such and such a job from David? Every decision has the potential to cause disagreement. Some things will have to be done differently once David’s gone. Not everyone will be happy with the way things turn out. Satan can use the departure of one key member to sow seeds of distrust and conflict through a whole church. Again, Paul’s words to the Philippians hit the mark: ‘Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel...’ God forbid that David & Christine should get news from Stockport that Satan has succeeded in gaining a foothold. Thirdly, we must all make sure we’re pulling our weight! David and Christine have done so much work in the church, some of it obvious and public, some of it unseen and largely unrecognised. David has preached in Sunday services, handled the finances of the church, led first the lads’ group and then the S.A.D group, spoken at Reinbek, produced our leaflets (and tramped round delivering them)... but he’s also spent long hours helping folk in the church through difficult times, he’s met up with myself each week and spent hours working with me through all the difficult decisions that need to be taken, he’s been willing and available to do endless routine tasks. His home’s been open for folk who need hospitality, his vehicle’s been available for folk who have needed lifts, his computer skills have been available for anyone who’s needed advice. And so on. Well, who’s going to fill the gaps? We’ve appointed folk to take on some of the obvious jobs, but what about all the rest? David and Christine and their boys normally deliver leaflets to around 700 homes. Who’s going to cover that patch now? Unless somebody comes forward to take it on, those homes aren’t going to be leafleted. Again, Paul’s wrote to the Philippians: ‘Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling... do all things without grumbling or questioning...holding out the word of life’. Paul wanted the Philippian believers to work harder in his absence than they had ever worked when he was there. We must do the same. Fourthly, we must be more urgent in praying that God will raise up further leaders in the church - and taking steps to bring that about. David’s departure will leave me again as the only appointed pastor in the church. That’s not the ideal situation. We need more elders. We know what we mean by that. We mean that we need more men who will make the ministry of the word and prayer their great priority, men who see preaching and shepherding the church as their chief calling in life. I’m praying that God will call and equip other men from within the church as he called David. But we’re also agreed that we need to call at least one older man from outside to join us. We mustn’t give up that search or stop praying about it. Paul was deeply concerned to send the right men to help the Philippian church. Epaphroditus was their ‘home-grown’ leader. The church sent him to visit Paul in Rome. In due time Paul sent Epaphroditus back But he also sent his own colleague Timothy to join the team in Philippi for a while. The church needed both men and Paul encouraged the church to give them both honour: ‘Receive him (Epaphroditus) in the Lord with all joy; and honour such men..’ (Philipp 2:19-30). Maybe, somewhere, God has his Timothy to send to us in due time. God grant that it may be soon. And fifthly, (finally), you must be patient with me. As I wrote above, I’m losing my right arm. It’s going to take me time to adjust. I’m going to have to do things myself which in the past I always left to David. I’ll be busier, more distracted, and - apart from God’s grace - more stressed out. David has gifts of administration and organisation that I’ve never had. He’s organised me, reminded me of things that need doing, pushed me into getting them done, helped me as I’ve done them. Please be patient when you find I’ve overlooked things, got things muddled, or just done things badly. And pray that Paul’s words will be proved true in my experience: ‘I have learned in whatever situation I am, to be content... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ (Philipp 4:11-13).
May Christ’s grace be with David, Christine, and with all
of us. |
Well,
no question what’s uppermost in my mind this month. The time has come
at last to say our farewells to David, Christine and family. I’m not
going to pen a lengthy tribute. We’ve included in this bulletin
tributes from various folk who have known them in different contexts
over the years. We all know something of what David & Christine have
brought to the church: these folk are able to tell us something of what
they have meant to friends in other situations. I only need to say that
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