The Testing Phase
This week I received a prayer letter from Blessing Point Ministries. Their role is to help churches in the revitalization process.
What caught my attention is the “testing phase” and how this is similar to what some churches experience after they attend Veritas.
Check it out…
When a church responds to the Lord and addresses the things He says need attention, there is often an initial surge of new vitality into the church. We note a pattern in such churches. As they continue their journey there is often unexpected conflict. We see this as a testing phase where Christ looks to see what is truly in the heart of His Bride. The question is: how will the newly blessed church handle the conflict? Will it be in a way God can bless or does it reveal superficiality in the church’s original repentance?
Have you found this to be true after your church went through Veritas?
What does this conflict reveal about the heart of your church? What does Christ see?
How are you seeking to manage the conflict in a healthy way?
August 15th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
John, sometime I’d like to talk to you about what happened here at Greenfield Congregational Covenant church.
In essence the pastor started to undermine the group by slandering us behind our backs.
He apparently enrolled people in the idea that we were personally attacking him which was not true.
Finally at the annual meeting his wife stood up and said that 3 of us had been saying “mean” things about his husband for a year. I defended myself somewhat but most of us on the Veritas team have not wanted to go back to church since. The pastor apparently wants to reform Veritas with people that I suppose are more acceptable to him.
I think it might support other churches if you included information or education having to do with when the pastor starts to oppose what the Veritas group is trying to do.
Thanks, Warren