Voyagers Disengagement Letter

May 13, 2012

Village Church Family Member(s),

I’m writing on behalf of the Elders to say “thank you” for your partnership in the Gospel, at all times, in every season (Phil.1:4). More specifically, I’m writing to say thank you for your partnership in the Gospel in this season, as we’ve considered a potential merge with Voyagers Bible Church. Thank you for your prayers, your participation, and your patience. It has been a tangible evidence of your affection for Jesus and His church.

I’m writing primarily, on behalf of the Elders, to communicate that we have decided to withdraw from the merge process with Voyagers Bible Church. There are a number of reasons for this decision, but four of the most important reasons are related to:

1. The Process: We believe the process we have walked through with Voyagers has been very thorough and honoring to both congregations. However, in light of the many changes Voyagers has faced in the last eighteen months, we believe they’re in need of much more time than our Elders believe we can afford as a church family.
2. Our Priorities: We have come to believe the priorities of both churches are not well enough aligned in this season – Voyagers needing to place more priority on preservation, The Village desiring to place more priority on mission (Declaring, Training, Serving and Planting).
3. Our Pastors: We believe there is a recent but real lack of clarity on the part of Voyagers about both Matt and Andy’s actual long-term roles including leadership style, preaching and teaching, and training. Our Elders want to maximize the strengths of the pastors we believe God has called to our church and community, and believe that would be best accomplished as we are today.
4. Our Paradigm: We believe there is a recent but real lack of clarity on the part of Voyagers about the actual implementation of our intentional discipleship paradigm including missonally focused Community Groups, Cross Training and Apprentice, all tools the Elders believe the Lord has clearly called us to implement, and which we are seeing the fruit of in exciting ways in our church. This is initially what attracted Voyagers to our church and leaders, beginning this process. Since that time, Voyagers leadership has questioned whether these tools are best for Voyagers current church culture, which is a significant change in our process.

In hearing this, some of you may have a sense of relief, believing this is the way it should have turned out from the beginning. For others, you may be saddened or confused, wondering why God has chosen to lead us through this. We don’t have all the answers, but we do know that God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, then stayed his hand at the last minute (Gen.22:12). We know Paul and Timothy sensed they should go to Asia, but the Spirit wouldn’t let them, having better things in store (Acts 16:6-10). We know that Paul and Mark partnered together in the Gospel for a season, then parted ways (Acts 15:36-41), only to partner again in the future (2 Tim.4:11). We don’t have all the answers, but we’re certain God has ordained for us to walk through this process, have no regrets, and have seen some incredible affects on our church including:

An increasing sense of clarity about who we are and what God has called us toAn increasing burden to see the lost come to know, love, follow and serve JesusAn increasing awareness of our weaknesses, and how God is calling us to shore them up and make them new strengths, by God’s graceAn increasing sense of God’s hand on our church and His Church in our community, for His purposes

In my previous letter regarding the merge, I shared a quote with you from Oswald Chambers which says, “What we call the process, God calls the end.” We believe all of this, and more, has been the end for Him, and our increasing desire is for our ends to be in line with His – clarity of mission (Matt.28:18-20) and conformity into the image of His Son (Rom.8:29).

In the days ahead you can expect more of the things God used to call you to The Village Church in the first place: more community, more relational ministry, more all-church gatherings, more declaring, more training, more serving, more planting, more thinking like Jesus, more becoming like Jesus, more living and serving like Jesus. By God’s grace you can also expect more salvations, more baptisms, more disciples who are making disciples, and more fame for Jesus in our households, neighborhoods, cities and the world.

In the very near future you can also expect the hiring of a full-time Youth Pastor to help our students think, be and live more like Jesus – and by God’s grace, see many more students in our community do the same. Our hope and desire is to see a Youth Pastor confirmed sometime this summer. The Elders would appreciate your continued prayer in this process, which we are in as we speak.

On a final note, the Elders would like to express our love and appreciation for the leaders and people of Voyagers Bible Church. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ to be sure, and partners in the Gospel in our city and county. Please join us in prayer for Voyagers, their leaders, and a sense of clarity about all God is calling them into as a church, and any way we can partner as The Church in Irvine and beyond in the days ahead.

I’ve been part of the Church for many years, and I’ve often heard pastors say, “our best days are ahead of us.” I’ve even said those words myself. I can say today, as your Lead Pastor, that this has never been more true than it is today. By God’s grace, in the days ahead, we’ll think more like Jesus, be more like Jesus, serve more like Jesus, and see more and more people do the same – for His glory and our joy.

Expectantly,

Pastor Matt

For the Elders