Shepherd's Corner (January 7th, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock (meaning Peter's profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God), I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."--Matthew 16:18
Riverside Community Church is in a significant transition. But we are not in a spiritual emergency because the Head of the Church is still our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus Christ is still building his church, and the forces of darkness ("the gates of Hades") will not overcome it,
Christ has not stepped off the throne. He has not stopped providing daily bread. He has not stopped shepherding his people. Scripture calls the LORD our “everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4). That means we can be honest about what’s hard without being ruled by fear.
Our church began in 1996 because a small group of people believed God was calling them to establish a house of prayer for all nations. Over the years, the name has evolved, but the calling has not.
In seasons like this, the temptation is to scramble for a new identity—as if stability comes from new plans or new systems. But Jesus teaches us the opposite. The house that endures is the one built on the rock; when the rain falls, and the winds blow, it does not collapse because its foundation holds (Matthew 7:25).
So let’s say clearly what has not changed:
The Gospel we proclaim
Our mission and identity as a community church and a house of prayer for all nations
Our pursuit of thoughtful, Spirit-filled, Christ-centered worship
God’s faithfulness to carry out what he has started
This past Sunday was a quiet mercy from God. The church stood firm. The Spirit encouraged us with the Word. Of course, we are deeply saddened by some of the changes. And yet, even in our lamentations, the promise of God's faithfulness remains steadier than our emotions:
"Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."--Lamentations 3:22–23).
Certainly, we are dealing with real disruptions. In addition to the pastoral transitions effective as of January 1, we have been informed by the key members of our praise ministry that they will be moving on after about one year of service. By the end of January, we will have to say farewell to Andy, Will, and Peter. That is significant.
But disruption does not have to be devastating. Some in our church have not lived through a season like this before, and for them, the ground feels like it is shifting. To those hearts, may I pray for encouragement from the Word, which says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). An anchor does not remove the storm. It holds you in it.
What does it mean to have faith in Christ? It doesn't merely mean that we believe Jesus to save us from sin. It must also mean that we trust Jesus to be the Head of the Church. To have faith in Jesus is to seek to be calm, clear, and present. We do not sugarcoat reality, but we also refuse to let anxiety become the loudest voice in the room.
Last night in the servant-leaders meeting, we said something important: we are praying, and that doesn’t mean we are standing still. Prayer is not a retreat from work; it is the work that clears the fog so we can do the next right thing in faith. And we are also acting.
On the staffing side, recruiting is being conducted through trusted networks and partners. We are not looking for quick solutions or improvisation, but for foundational stability. On the worship side, an interim collaboration is already forming as we strengthen “in-house” gifts and prepare our hearts toward Easter. We are also looking outward through targeted postings, while continuing to look inward, because God often supplies what his church needs through the gifts he has already placed in the body.
The church is not a "venue" we attend; it is a community of heavenly people joined to Christ, the Head of the Church. The Apostle Paul says the church is one body with many members, and when one part is weak, the other parts do not detach—they support and strengthen one another (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). This is why unity in a transition season will not be accidental; it must be intentional.
Nehemiah offers a clear picture of rebuilding a community. The wall was rebuilt as people worked side by side, each repairing the section in front of their own home (Nehemiah 3). In other words: not everyone did everything, but everyone did something—and they did it together.
If you only remember one sentence from this Shepherd’s Corner, remember this:
Because Christ has not changed, we can now grow together without fear.
Here is what that looks like in the coming days:
Pray—and then act. Ask God for wisdom, humility, and clean hearts. Then take the next faithful step you can take.
Row together. Refuse the slow drift into suspicion, fragmentation, or “side conversations” that erode trust. Protect unity like it is precious—because it is.
Stabilize your circles. Pessimism is contagious, but so is steady faith. When someone is disturbed, shepherd them with truth and tenderness: “Yes, it’s hard. No, it’s not hopeless.”
Step up and recruit. If you can help—or know someone who can—now is the time. Let’s not think like "renters," but like members of one body. When one part is strained, the other parts strengthen and supply.
And if you feel unsettled, please know that you’re not “less faithful.” You’re human. You care about your church. Let's pursue clear communication and stable solutions. We will not be driven by fear, because the church is not held together by perfect leadership—it is held together by the perfect Savior.
So we move from worry to worship—not by pretending the disruption isn’t real, but by anchoring ourselves in the One who is.
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4).
In His Grace Alone,
Pastor Brian Lee
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