Before anything else, I want to take this opportunity to remind you that God is good – always good. And He is faithful.
It is with sadness but also hope that I have asked Jon to read this letter to you this morning. I am not there with you this morning (though I am there with you in spirit) because my family needed ministering to. I have over the years put my family in second place after the church, and it is my intention to change that priority structure. However, precisely because I have in the past put them in second place, my family has suffered, and has reached a point where I have allowed great damage. For many reasons, we are moving back to Cleveland, Lord willing to give the Lord the opportunity to bring healing and restoration. Maggie and Masen are my first priority, my first ministry – and it is with terrible sadness that I have to confess that I have long lost sight of that truth – and they have suffered for it. That changes now.
I have resigned as pastor of Calvary Chapel on the Lakeshore. I am greatly saddened by the hurt this might cause, but it is very much the right thing to do. Please remember that it is the Lord who deserves your trust and love, not any mere man. Jeremiah says, in the seventeenth chapter of his book, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.” My greatest desire for you has always been to point you to the Lord, to encourage you to look to Him and to trust Him always. I am asking you now – it is one of my dearest prayers – that you trust Him and look to Him now.
Finally, and with nearly equal sadness, I have asked Jon to announce the closing of Calvary Chapel on the Lakeshore. For a long time, we have been struggling as a church. It had come to the point that we were considering meeting in the park for the summer months to save money in order to catch up on mounting expenses. Combined with the reality that we are not, in fact, a self-sustaining church, it has been prayed over and agreed upon by the servanthood of the church as well as the church board to recognize God's timing and to stop striving to keep something going in our strength. We believe that “where God guides, God provides,” so if He is not providing, that's a sure indication that He is not guiding. Also, when you find yourself striving to do something or keep something going in your strength, that's a good indication that it's not the Spirit.
And so, today is the last meeting for Calvary Chapel on the Lakeshore. We will take what funds remain and pay the church debts we can.
For those of you who have given items to the church over the years and would like them back, you may take them today after service; or, Jon can open the church building next Saturday – just let him know.
I want to ask each of you to find God-honoring, Bible-teaching churches to fellowship in. Fellowship is a vital part of the Christian life – you cannot grow spiritually without being plugged into a church body – in fact, you will inevitably stagnate and drift. There are MANY good, godly churches; pray and seek The Lord, and He will direct you.
I realize that all of this sees sudden and overwhelming; please remember though that none of this catches God by surprise. Romans 8:28 still applies.
And so I close this letter the way I began it, reminding you that God is good – always good. And He is faithful.
I love you all.
~ mike
