I am sure you have heard or read that Church Council has
made the decision to look for the person who will take over my role as Senior
Minister. This is a decision I fully support and this means I will finish my
time with Logan Uniting at the end of 2014. If you asked me how I feel about
this, the answer is that initially half of me was at peace with a deep sense of
God’s leading in this decision; and the other half was deeply sad that my time
with you and the incredible work God is doing with and through LUC was going to
come to an end. Whilst the sadness will come back again, I find myself at the
moment excited by the way in which this decision powerfully leads us into the
future as a church.
It is time for us to be re-visioning and developing a new
strategic plan that will help us keep growing as a disciple making movement
(“Drawing people into a life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ”), but
I have not sensed the prompt of God to engage in this. I now see why. I believe
God will call the person who will replace me to lead us through this process.
My role will be to support them and you in building on the great vision and
culture God has built into Logan Uniting Church. This will be a very healthy
process that ensures you and the future Senior Minister continue to walk
strongly into God’s future together.
For now, Church Council and I are convinced that we have to
keep making discipleship (growing in trusting and obeying Jesus AND giving
ourselves to help those who don’t know Christ come to faith in Him) the centre
of what we are on about as a church. We are also convinced that in this call to
discipleship we have to keep learning how to live to a different rhythm than
the busy-ness we so easily find ourselves in. We must create space for genuine
relationship with God, with other believers and with those who don’t yet know
Christ. This life of space and grace and relationship is very counter cultural
and requires us to constantly re-evaluate our priorities and ask Jesus what it
is he would have us do.
To assist with this we have organised two, half day retreats
on the 26th Oct and the 23rd Nov at the Springwood
Ministry Centre. These will run from 9-00am to 12-30 pm and are designed to
give you the opportunity for deliberate space with God and to equip you in enhancing
your own practices of time out with the Lord. Please make these a priority.
As you are also aware, Tim R and I are in Los Angeles
attending a “discipleshift” conference. This is extremely timely and I believe
will encourage us in the direction we are walking in as a church. Whilst we are
away, the rest of the Ministry leadership team and Rev Dennis Robinson are
available to assist if it is required.
Yours in Christ
Graham Keech
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