What's next for Northview Community Church

Why are you leaving Northview? Is there something wrong?

There’s nothing wrong at all with Northview. In fact, there’s so much right with it that I felt like now is a good time for me to go and leave the church in really capable hands. The truth is that I’m the kind of guy who likes a good challenge and I really have a passion to see churches renewed. The challenge for renewal at the ministry I am going to is pretty big, so it has gotten me pretty excited. I have spent the last 15 years at Northview learning how to lead a church from difficulty to flourishing and I just want to do the same thing for another church. So, I wouldn’t say I’m “going from” Northview so much as I’m “going to” another ministry (if that makes sense).

It’s the pandemic, isn’t it?

It’s true that I don’t like the pandemic any more than anyone else. I have prayed for awhile for the Lord to relieve us all of the burden it places on us, especially when it comes to meeting as a church. But, it would be wrong to say that I am leaving Northview because of the pandemic. Again, the driving force behind my departure is a vision for the renewal of another church.

You and the elders must not get along or something, right?

Actually, I really love our elders and consider them my friends. We have spent lots of time together over the last number of years and I can easily say it’s pretty much all been fantastic. I don’t really love meetings much in general, but I found our elder meetings to be bearable at least ;). They are a strong team of godly men who love Northview. They are the perfect guys to facilitate a pastoral transition.

You’ll miss Northview, though, right?

Will I ever. The years I have spent here have been some of the most influential of my life. My daughter was born here. The rest of my family became citizens of Canada here. I learned about hockey here (kind of). And I learned how rich a blessing it is to be loved by the church you pastor. I’m not sure I will ever find a place like this one and I don’t really expect to. You’ve all been such a joy to serve and serve with. We will have years and years on the New Earth to remember all that God has done in the last 15 years. By then, we will probably be able to gather without masks. I hope.

Any final thoughts for the church?

In the last few years especially, I have tried to instill in our church the idea of gaining by losing. Our leadership read a book by that title a little while ago and the argument made in that book really struck a chord with us. Northview is only one little part of God’s kingdom and our focus should be not on making the name of our church great, but on making the name of our King great. I may be leaving Northview, but it’s only because I’ve been reassigned by the King.

Parting ways may be sad for all of us, but our lives before eternity are short and we are obliged to double our Master’s money through faithful risk taking as much as we can. His love for us demands no less. So, in this weird way, Northview is truly embodying its values by blessing me to leave. Like the Pisidian Antioch church in Acts 13 who gladly sent Paul and Barnabas out in response to the Spirit’s call, you are sending me to a new project in the Kingdom at significant cost to yourselves. But, any loss you feel will certainly be overcome with the gain that the Kingdom gets. I pray that you never lose this generous, sacrificial attitude. The Lord is on his way. Let us continue to risk it all until he comes.