A New Journey: A New Church

*I wrote this Sunday evening but am just now posting it.

Leaving a place you dearly love is never easy, but sometimes necessary. If I strongly disliked my church of 26 years, then I wouldn’t have had tears streaming down my face today, but that’s not the case. Quite the opposite, actually, I love Cypress Bible Church. Not everyone can say they’ve grown up in the same church, known the same people and had lifelong relationships that won’t soon go away. It is a blessing I realized when I left for college, and now an even bigger blessing as I look back and ponder the ways that church has poured into me for an entire lifetime. The investment they’ve made in me has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated by me for one second. No, leaving is not easy. But Jesus is better and He is worth following. He is worth the tears on my cheeks and the lump in my throat.

God is so into details and has not left me to wander for one second. To say He’s been faithful the past four months is a huge understatement. Yes, He’s always faithful, no doubt, but I’ve seen Him move more mightily in these few months than I’ve ever seen Him move in my life. It has been very sweet.

As I was praying through this transition, I really wrestled with my decision to actually leave this church body for another in this new season. I felt that the Lord was calling me to go, but as I’ve said time and time again, leaving for good is so much easier said than done.

What most people don't know is that in March I had a few significant conversations that still stand out to me. Looking back, I see now how the Lord was preparing me to leave this church body. When Curtis and Amanda had the initial core team meeting to share their vision of planting Bayou City Fellowship with their close friends and family, they asked if I would be willing to watch their kids and few others that night. Of course, I willingly said yes and was happy to help them in any way that I could as they stepped out on a limb to build something from the ground up. It was huge and I knew that. At the time, I was on staff at a church, so I knew my part in their faith journey would be to support them through love and prayer. I was happy to do just that and be a part in that small way.

A few days after their meeting, Curtis and I exchanged a couple of emails in which I told him I was undoubtedly praying for them, excited for them and that if the Lord allowed, maybe one day I'd get to be a part of their church.

Around that same time was when I began struggling and really wrestling with what was next for me. I remember eating frozen yogurt one night with my parents and we were chatting about all manner of things when my dad simply said to me, Lindsee, you know you can leave Cypress. No one expects you to be there forever. He may not remember that, but for whatever reason that really hit home with me. No one had ever said that to me before and in my mind, I was going to be there for the rest of my life. I left that night with a new perspective. If the Lord called me elsewhere, I had the blessing to go, at least from my parents.

Soon after I was offered the job at LPM, I was talking to Amanda and she so graciously offered that if I wanted, I was welcome to attend Bayou City Fellowship, but that there was absolutely no pressure. I told her I’d been praying about it, but that was one of the two churches I’d been praying about. I really don’t want to hop right into a church just because I love the people there, but because I know that’s where God wants me. However, now that I think about it, why would I not attend a church where I know I already love the people and the vision there? Sounds silly if you ask me.

This is where being single becomes such a blessing; all I have to worry about is me. I realize now that finding a home church for you and your family is so tough. For that, I am so thankful. And for all of you big families searching for a new church, I have much respect for you.

A few weeks later Amanda invited me to attend their core team meeting. It happened to be on my last official day of work, which was really good for my heart, and maybe a good distraction as well. After telling Amanda that their church was the “first” one I was going to visit anyway and that I'd be so happy and honored to come, she and Curtis both joked that it would be the “first and last” and to please bring my membership papers. Ha!

Although a bit intimidating at first, it was a wonderful fit. What you need to know is that it wasn't intimidating because the people weren't inviting or accepting, quite the opposite, actually, but because you have to remember that I come from a very comfortable church. One I've been at for 26 years. I can immediately walk in the doors at CBC and say hi to at least ten people.

I hesitated being all in at first for fear that I was making a irrational quick decision out of my emotional state, but I decided to go back this week, making that two consecutive weeks, and as I explained to everyone during a time of sharing, I think I'm in. There is no un-biblical reason not to be. No good reason to say no. And I don't hear the Lord telling me to wait. I hear Him say go! Why wait? Why hesitate?

So, as I said goodbye to my church of 26 years today, with a very bittersweet heart, I say hello to a new church. A new season. For now, I am honored to attend and serve at Bayou City Fellowship. No church will ever replace Cypress Bible Church and what it’s meant to me over the years, but I pray for sweet relationships and a desire to serve and love Houston like I’ve never had before. I pray with great anticipation and expectation that God will blow up in this city, not because we have awesome skills or hearts, because without Jesus we’re all ugly, but because Jesus loves Houston and our hearts are willing and open.

I'm very new to this church, so I can't give you a lot of details. But what you need to know is that BCF will open the doors to the public on September 11th at Houston Christian High School at 10:00 a.m. It would be our greatest pleasure for you to come and join us as we celebrate and get involved with what God is doing in Houston. And I say that as a girl who's been praying for this church, and not been involved month to month putting in the hard work. But I assure you, it's a God-sized ordeal and they've been working very hard.

I'm very grateful He led me here so quickly. It's hard to explain how much of a blessing that is to me. It doesn't mean I won't still grieve my church family of 26 years, or that in any way they'll be forgotten, but I see now how it wasn't a rash decision, but one only the Lord could have woven together these past five months for His glory alone.

Again, the Lord is doing something good and new. All glory to Him.