Note: this
Sunday Agnes and I announced our family’s call to Scotland. Below is my
letter to you about this journey. Would love to connect personally this
summer and after we go, stay in touch as God leads each of us on our
journeys. We are here for another 10 weeks!
June 13, 2015
Our dear Bay
family,
This may be
the hardest letter I have had to write. Words cannot describe the
feelings behind it.
Fifteen years
ago the clear call of God led me to become part of the ministry of Youth For
Christ Comox Valley and Bay Community Church. Two years later you
confirmed God's clear call on my life to pastor this amazing church
family.
I have always
been committed to Bay for the long term and imagined spending the next thirty
years serving here and probably retiring in Comox. I did my growing up
here, many of my closest friends are here, and I love this church and this
Valley. It probably would take nothing short of a two by four to jar me out of
this comfortable place.
The two by
four hit me last month while I was worshiping in chapel at Regent College in
Vancouver. I thought I was there for a theology class, but I was there to
hear a call from God. The voice of God has been persistent and strong
since that time. The call has come clearly through Scripture,
circumstances, open doors, a multitude of godly and prophetic counsel from
people close to us, and the redirecting of our hearts. As my mentor Barry
Falk said when I told him my story, "This is one of the clearest calls
I've seen in my life." While it's hard, it's also exciting,
and we can't say no to Jesus. The truth is I thought at first I could put
it off a year, but God has made it so plain that the time to go is now.
In fact he has been blowing the doors open to make this happen. It has
taken our breath away.
God has called
me, Agnes, and our family on a new adventure. He is leading us to Scotland,
where Agnes grew up and where she and I met at Bible college. Hindsight
is 20-20, and we can see a masterful tapestry of providential care that has
prepared us for this step. We will be heading out at the end of the
summer.
It will be
incredible for our kids to get to be part of Agnes' family and culture
during this new season in our lives, and very sweet for Agnes to live in her
homeland again. We have a sense of calling to mission as we go,
that perhaps in some sense we're being led in the ministry footsteps of Agnes'
father, Rev. John Ferguson. Agnes is quite a preacher and I wonder if she
won't be preaching again. We're hearing God say, "There's a
spiritual battle going on here in Scotland, and I'm calling you to join the ranks."
Previously, I had set aside aspirations of doing significant further study; now
God has awakened that dream and is opening a door for me to do a 3 year
theology degree at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, starting in
September. I believe God's purpose is to increase the tools in my
toolbox, preparing me for a new season of ministry. After that, we trust God
will lead us, and we pray we will be ready and faithful.
We love
every one of you like family and it has been such a holy and joyful
privilege to live among you. You have loved, served, invested, honored,
and shared yourselves with us in such a wonderful way; we have been humbled and
blessed over and over. Our cup has overflowed. What an incredibly
faithful, nurturing and affirming church family our kids have been able to grow
in. What models you have been to us of faith and faithfulness, prayer and
sacrifice, mission and obedience. I see Jesus so strongly in this
church and I am very proud of you in the Lord. I am so excited about
how God is at work in Bay. I have great faith that even with all the
great things God has done in Bay's past, your best days as a church are waiting
for you to discover in the very good future he has planned. We
are praying for you and we are confident.
It will be
so hard to say goodbye to you! As your pastor my heart is absolutely
torn, but I know it will be okay. I want ask you to bring me joy by
doing these things: walk closely with Jesus, keep building a community of
disciples, and live the mission for the sake of the lost and the glory of
God. Trust God to lead you in his way and time in choosing a new
pastor who has a heart after God and will help you to grow in grace and truth,
faithfulness and fruitfulness. Honor, pray for, and partner with him and
his family as they serve you.
I have been
honored to support many of you through life transitions. Now we are
asking for your support.
Above all,
please pray for us. This whole adventure was initiated by Jesus, it
is for him, and we can only walk it through intimacy with him. Pray that
we would stay rooted in the grace and presence of Jesus, and strong
as a family. Pray for all the preparations - there are a lot of
details to walk through in a short timeline.
If you have wisdom
about international moves with children, share it with us! If you
catch us crying, offer a hug. If you feel led to drop off a meal
or help us sort through fifteen years of stuff or get our house
ready for transition... come on over!
We are
going in faith - God has clearly called and we are fully confident in his
provision. Once our house sells, we expect to have 40-50% of the funds
needed for the three years ahead. We are prepared to work part time as
God leads and opens doors. We are trusting God to move hearts of people to
support us if that is his way. Coming this far this fast has been a
miracle, and we are thanking God in advance for the miracles he will do. We
would value your prayer that we will walk strong in faith and see God provide
in his way and in his time.
We would love
to connect with you personally before we go - give us a shout and let's get
together. We hope to have space for guests in Scotland -
start planning your visit nowJ.
Jesus is
coming. After we're gone, if we don't see you again here, we'll see you
there. Let's bring along as many as we can.
Philippians 1:27 (NIV) Whatever happens, conduct yourselves
in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or
only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one
Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.
All our love,
respect, prayers, and gratitude,
David, Agnes, Acacia, Elijah, Andrew and Levi
