Shepherd's Corner (February 4th, 2026)

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way… let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him… (Isaiah 55:6–7)

The landscape of churches in the United States has changed drastically. In many places, seminaries are shrinking or closing. Many seminarians are hesitant to serve in local churches while they study. And even after graduation, more and more choose bi-vocational paths instead of moving into full-time pastoral ministry. Whether we like it or not, the “pipeline” that smaller churches once relied on is narrowing.

The current landscape now requires a pivot.

Here is what I believe we need to embrace with humility: Riverside does not need to do everything alone, and we should stop acting as if we must. A generation ago, ten churches of one hundred members could each find a lead pastor and some part-time help. That is increasingly no longer the case. Larger churches may continue to attract young pastors; smaller churches often won’t.

Yet Riverside has something that is increasingly rare: a stable infrastructure that is currently underused. There are churches around us that have staff but no building. There are church plants with a younger pastor who may, in time, become a strong lead pastor. None of this is guaranteed. But one conclusion is clear: we should collaborate with like-minded churches around us for the sake of the Kingdom.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Because when a church becomes preoccupied with its own survival and growth, it can slowly begin to sound like Israel relying on the Temple. The tragedy in Jeremiah’s day was not that they loved the Temple—it’s that they trusted the Temple. They took pride in what God had given, while their hearts drifted from God himself.

As we prepare to enter the season of Lent, let us return to the Lord in faith. Let us say, “Father, we cannot carry tomorrow’s burdens with yesterday’s methods. Teach us again to depend on you.” Let us be intentional about repentance—not merely from obvious sins, but from self-righteousness and self-reliance. The most respectable idol is often “we’ve always handled it.” The most dangerous pride is the kind that sounds like responsibility.

I want to ask openly, especially of our younger generation: How can I better empower you? What would help you grow into spiritual ownership—not someday, but now?

I am hoping and praying that some of you will sense God’s call to pursue spiritual maturity that leads to spiritual responsibility, and that some will accept the call to be Elders and Deacons this year—not as a badge of honor, but as a way of loving Christ by loving his church.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

In His Grace Alone,

Pastor Brian Lee