Well, that's the first month done! Apart from a few CAP left over things back in early Feb, I've been full on for the Light church, and so I thought I'd reflect a bit here for you all. I thought I'd do my very own Q&A to make it easier to read!

Q: So, how's it going?

A: The question people keep asking me (which I'm grateful for) and yet so impossible to answer quickly beyond just saying 'fine!' Well, firstly it's weird. Of course it's weird to leave behind a big CEO job with hundreds of staff and millions of pounds of budget to both raise and spend well, and go and serve in a very different environment. It is definitely going to take some time to really adjust, I feel like I'm only just beginning to get my head into what exactly are my most pressing priorities, and how I'm going to manage my time. 

Q: So, what’s on your mind?

A: Wow, where do I start? Firstly there is so much stuff, and so many competing priorities with all the very many and varied areas of church life. One minute I can be focussed on what I’m preaching, the next discussing safeguarding, the next doing some pastoral support, then reviewing and updating Fire policies - aahh! So many plates to spin. So, what I'm trying really hard to focus on is our big, main focus for the year, which is “building a strong family, who disciple each other.” We've been doing the first bit of that through our teaching series, but I'm trying to ensure I put energy into it in other ways, as well as doing a lot of hosting myself, launching the hosting meal rota and setting up a walking group.

Q: What about the big stuff? Vision, direction etc.

Well, I promised myself I’d let myself settle in first. See what God is up to, make some space to hear from him, and the first part of that is getting the lay of the land. What I’ve seen is that there is a lot of what I would consider foundational work to be done. One of those foundations is the leadership structure, and we’ve been having lots of discussions within the Leadership team around what the structure will look like going forward, and also who will be on it. This is your heads up that there will be a number of significant changes coming, so watch this space!

The building is also on my mind, especially as I have seen just how cramped we are in the Light Centre. As you are all aware, we paused our own building process around the middle of last year as a new opportunity came up. That new opportunity has stalled a bit, but is still a very real opportunity, however we are dependent on third parties whom we have no control over. I'm seeking God for what he is saying in all of this, and am keen to create space to hear from you, my church family. I'm very aware that there is a keenness for us to move forward, I am with you in that!

The other big thing, which I regard as foundational, is how I can be best supported in my role on a day to day basis? I'm grateful for everyone on staff team, but I'm very keen to have a right hand person, someone who can help run the mechanics of the church, whilst also helping to lead in various areas. I believe this could be transformational for the church. Also, I'm used to working with team, I'm not used to being a solo player, and so am asking God that somehow he will make a way. I'm currently very aware however that we don't really have the finances required for such a role, so I continue to pray that more people who call the Light church their home will start to tithe, which would make this possible. 

Q: What's been the best thing so far?

A: Genuinely it has been getting to exercise the pastoral gift. I know I've said in the past I'm not that pastoral, and the truth is it's not one of my strongest gifts, but it is there. I've sensed God's spirit in that more than anything else, coming alongside people and helping them and supporting them in the challenges they face. I’m priviliged that peopel will open up, share some deep stuff, and amazed that God meets needs through a listening ear and a faith filled prayer. It also makes me hugely grateful for the valuable role played by Tarzan, Helen and the pastoral team.

Q: How can people pray for you?

A: I think the biggest thing is that with the many plates that need to be spun, that I wouldn't let all the stuff crowd out the voice of God and the sense of his presence. I'm used to working hard and fast, and I'm very aware that doing so makes it harder to both hear God and sense God. If all I do in this role is do my job in my own strength, then I will have failed. So prayers that I get a good rhythm, learn to lean into the Father more and more, and act from a place of presence and spirit led guidance rather than just my best ideas.

Thanks for reading!

This Sunday gone, I shared with the church about changes in our staff team. I’m very aware that we’ve had quite a few changes over recent years, some of which have not gone well. Whilst this is a big change, we’re believing God is all over it, and it can end really well, thanks to his grace at work.

So the big news is that Lindon will be moving on from the staff team into other work, he is currently exploring exactly what that will be. But, really importantly, and in so many ways thanks to Lindon’s grace and humility, he and Sam will be remaining here at the Light, will continue preaching and continue as part of our current leadership team.

Here is a little of what Lindon communicated on Sunday…..

From Lindon:

I want to share a little bit of my journey and thinking with you since so many of you have been really invested in supporting me as Operations Manager here at the Light Church

I’ve been in post for nearly two years now - About 9 months ago I began discussion with the rest of the leadership about the nature of the Operations Manager role, how I was experiencing it and some of the difficulties of that, (which are also tied in to the journey the leadership have been on over that period.)

Since then I began to pray to God about what he would have me do, since I felt quite strongly that I was in an unsustainable position for me, but I wanted to know what his leading was.

I felt quite clear that God wanted me to stay in the position for now and not to move before his timing.

It’s been a very difficult period in the life of the church, not just for me but for the leadership of the church as they’ve considered the way forward through many complex and trying circumstances, and in some ways I feel like I’ve been at the eye of the storm for a lot of the tension of that period – in short it’s been a real strain – so I continually prayed to God, and still felt like the timing wasn’t right for me to leave the post.

As it became clear that it would be Matt who would lead the church I began to consider with God whether this would be the right time to move on, or whether there was a way forward for me with the new changes. Matt and I have had the chance to get to know each other a bit through this time and had a few discussions about how this might look.

In the end we both feel like it’s a good time for me to relinquish the operations manager role. I feel like I’ve been faithful to God and his calling, supporting the church through some seismic shifts in the way it works – right up until Matt is able to take up the role. I’m proud of that before God.

The church really needs some additional support in the office, but its not the kind of support that I’m inclined towards and its good to make some space for that.

Leadership have been very supportive throughout this time, I’ve been privileged to get to know them in a way that not everyone does and their heart and sacrifice towards me and this church rarely gets the recognition it deserves.

I will greatly miss working with all of the staff team, in particularly Beth and Sarah who I worked most closely with. I’ve really appreciated having Edd as my line manager but I particularly want to say thanks to Gareth Jones who has poured in countless hours of support over my time on the staff team.

Matt:

Can I just reiterate my huge thanks for Lindon’s heart for the church, and his grace and humility as we have been journeying this together.

You need to know that this process has been genuinely walked through from a place of love. For me, as I have been praying about what is right for this situation, it has been from a place of wanting the very best for both Lindon and the church. I’m so grateful that as we’ve walked this together, we’ve come to a mutual place of agreement of what is God’s best for the church and for Lindon.

Being a loving family and being a strong family, doesn’t always mean that people should continue in an employed role. In fact if that role is not the right fit, it’s a long way from being loving. What matters is how loving we are as we go through that process and how we support people, if it’s right that God is moving them on. Something we acknowledge we haven’t always got right, but we’re seeking to learn.

As I said to Lindon, if we had budget for a role that fitted his people focussed gifting, then this would be very different. But the current reality is not that. This church needs an operational lead, something Lindon himself has identified is not a good fit for him.

Lindon has been incredibly faithful these last two years. He has been through many serious ups and downs, but his heart for God, for the church and the staff team has been exemplary - this is a man who has devoted himself and demonstrated Jesus in all his ways. We look forward to all that he will bring as part of the family as we move forward.

Please be praying for Lindon, especially that God would open up the right door for his next steps in terms of work.

So why is it then that so many committed Christians do tithe, normally tithing into their local church?

When Jesus came He said that He had not come to do away with the law, but to ‘fulfill’ it. (Matt 5:17) i.e. take it to it’s fullest level. So it was no longer good enough to not hate your enemies, you had to love them! No longer good enough simply to fulfill a set of religious laws, more than that He wanted us to love God with our whole being.

Interestingly Jesus never taught people to tithe, in a sense that was taken as a given, it was the law and people knew it. You couldn’t be a first century Jew without the words of Malachi ringing in their ears that to not tithe was to “rob God” (Mal 3:8). The one time Jesus did mention tithing was when he was railing against the religious people who were being so fastidious in their tithing the spices, but ignoring justice! What he did say though was ‘don’t neglect the former (i.e. tithing)’ but do both – so you could argue from that one mention that he did teach tithing! Whilst never really teaching or even mentioning tithing, Jesus did talk about money all the time, in fact he spoke more about money than any other subject. But he didn’t come to do away with the law, no, He called his disciples to go way beyond tithing and have a much more radical approach to finances. That they’d be prepared to give and give and give.

I read this great quote from an article by John Ortberg on tithing, he said “A tithe makes a great floor but a poor ceiling.”  I even preached on that very concept back in January 2015. Ortberg also said that the tithe is like stabilisers on a bike that it’s to get you going in your giving, but God always intended for us to move on from it into so much more.

So, why is it that so many committed Christians give a whole tithe, the whole ten percent, into the local church? Well, it can be for a whole host of reasons - some theological and some practical. These can include:

• Because you’ve been taught that Malachi 3:10 ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple’ means you should give your tithe into the church. Whilst interpreting the ‘storehouse’ as the local church wouldn’t be a bad interpretation of scripture, it’s also not the strongest argument. 

• Because you’ve been taught that people of Israel gave their tithes into the temple – hmmm, yes they did, as God wanted to use this to take care of the priests and the poor in the community, but it’s a bit more complex than that, at times they were told to enjoy the tithes themselves as a feast!

• Because the early church seemed to do their outrageous ‘beyond tithing’ giving through the local church. Now we’re getting on some firmer ground – Acts 4:35 said that giving was brought to the feet of the apostles, who then decided how best to use it. So this is a very real example we should consider following.

• I hope as well you perhaps do it because you love what is happening in your church, that you think ‘whether or not the bible tells me to do this, I want to do it, because we’re building kingdom, reaching our city with the good news of Jesus’ I love giving and I want to give to support everything that is happening – not to mention the fact that I benefit from being part of this church as do my family (if you have family.)

So, what about you? What sits right for you? I’m hoping you’re someone who is convinced that a tithe is worth giving into your local church, and either have been doing for some time, or you’re ready to start – brilliant! Thank you, and thank you God, for it is him moving in our hearts whenever we choose to be generous.

Maybe you’ve decided that the Light church is going to be your church. If that’s the case, then you really should be doing something around giving. If you’re struggling then don’t feel pressure, but I’d still encourage you to try and give something – the blessing of giving should be available to everyone, not just those with loads of cash.

Maybe you’ve been giving, but not giving a tithe. If you have studied the scriptures and reached the conclusion that your tithe can be shared beyond the local church, and that’s what you want to do – follow your conscience. I know that for me, I would believe God would be fine for me giving some of my tithe outside of the church, as I do with other money. But I love this church, have always loved it, despite its faults, so am keen to see it well resourced so we can achieve all he has for us.

As I mentioned on Sunday, follow the advice of Paul in 2 Corinthians 7, ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ 

Whatever happens, let’s not get legalistic, but let’s remember that Jesus consistently taught that grace went beyond the law it didn’t stop short of it. He called us to radical living, so let’s start with some radical giving.