You may remember what I told you in last Sunday’s reflection during worship about New Life Church having three of their staff resign last month. One of the reasons why it took three weeks to let you know about it was that your leaders and I were kind of knocked back on our heels by the news. It made the merger path feel uncertain for the first time since we started on it, and we didn’t know how to communicate it to you without creating anxiety.

Well, on Tuesday night, our Executive Board voted to delay the congregational vote on a merger plan that we anticipated being ready for at the end of January at our church’s Annual Meeting.

We feel an urgency about moving down the merger path because our congregation clearly discerned it as the path we feel God is calling us to. Remember the unanimous vote last spring in a special congregational meeting May 18? It’s also urgent that we move forward because our long-term health and sustainability as a church depends on doing something bold and different, and not business-as-usual.

So why delay the vote? Because, while it’s normal to move quickly when we have clarity on the path ahead, it’s also normal to slow down and take more time when roadblocks appear and the way ahead is foggy.

This situation calls for both courage and prudence: prudence until the way ahead becomes clear again, and courage to continue to seek God’s will and pursue it as though our life depends on it.

But how can we keep going with this, given the uncertainty? If you think of it in terms of a couple who are dating, or engaged, if a big issue comes up between the two people, it means slowing down to have honest conversations and build the trust necessary to move forward. Breaking things off immediately would be to overreact, but at the same time, to keep rushing headlong into marriage without stopping to consider the issue would be reckless.

So I can communicate to you from the board what we know about our plans for the immediate future:

• We’re delaying the vote on a merger until later in 2025.
• New Life is taking a straw poll of its members at their next Town Hall meeting Nov. 24.
• We’ll continue to invest in relationships through joint worship services and other activities.

The point is, we need to pause so that New Life can get clear on where they stand as a body on merger, but we see such great energy and a wonderful vibe whenever our two groups of people get together. Continuing to invest in relationships keeps building the foundation for whatever the future may hold, and holds open the door to merger through a time of uncertainty.

What are YOUR thoughts on this? Will YOU hold both our churches in your prayers—for clarity, prudence, and boldness?