A few weeks ago our Executive Pastor, Melissa Lipsett, shared a letter that she’d written to her kids to share all the reasons why she loves the church and why she’s so thankful that God planted her and her family at Newlife. They’ve given their permission for it to be shared again.
Dear Jess and Brad,
Unfortunately you’re both old enough now to make your own decisions about faith and church – I loved it when I could control that and you believed whatever I did, and did whatever I told you to do but those days have long gone and as much as the control freak in me wishes it were different that’s the way it is.
This is my last plea to you about church – not necessarily because you need a last word on this particularly at this moment in your lives but because I want to have the opportunity for the last word on the subject before you leave home and make your own way in the world and I thought if I put it in writing it might always get to be the last word (note – that was me trying to be funny!)
You’ve been blessed to grow up at Newlife. You were 4 and 2 the first time we came and you’ve lived every stage of your lives here so far – playgroup, primary school years spent at Sunday school with awesome teachers, High school years with great friends, and always older kids to look up to. You’ve had lots of chances to get to know people who you’ll hopefully know for a long time because you share a bond in Christ.
You’ve been mentored, encouraged and prayed for by awesome leaders and just ordinary people in this place who really do care about you enough to get on their knees for you- some of them on a daily basis –such is their commitment to you and your well being.
As a parent you simply can’t buy that sort of nurture, love and prayer and I don’t think it exists in our secular society anywhere outside of the local church and I don’t mind telling you that I’m incredibly grateful for it. It’s priceless actually and I hope you’ll always be grateful for it too.
The friendships and relationships our family has built within our church community over the years have been and still are incredible – each one is an amazing gift from God.
There’s probably been times when you’ve wondered why we’ve made you go to church almost every single Sunday of your lives. Well the answer is simple. We’ve insisted on it because we love church ourselves, we want to honour God by worshipping him, and we care about your spiritual growth and well being. Hopefully you get that now but on the off chance you don’t – I’m hoping and praying that the day will come when you will and that you’ll do the same for your kids when the time comes.
I know there may be periods in your life both in the past but also into the future when you feel indifferent or even hostile about church. I really hope and pray that it doesn’t last long and that you’ll have the wisdom to know that church is a good place to be, no matter if you particularly like the preacher (not me of course) or the music or not. And I hope like mad that you’ll make your own contribution by serving your church through thick and thin no matter how busy or complicated your lives seem to get.
I can’t tell you the amount of pleasure it’s given me over the years to see you serve here and I reckon if it gives an earthly mother this much joy that it must give your heavenly Father a heck of a lot too.
I pray that no matter what happens for you in life that you will always choose the way of faith. Choosing to trust in God and committing to the church are as counter cultural today as it’s ever been but I’m trusting that you’ll have the wisdom to do it anyway.
There’s big stuff to think about and argue about and wrestle with as you look for the truth and I hope that the church you choose to be a part of will not only let you do that but encourage it. I don’t want you to have a blind faith - I very much want it to be intelligent and informed. And I pray that you’ll always be willing and able to articulate that faith and that you’ll be passionate about sharing and living the gospel story.
I pray that you will continue to grow in goodness and kindness and that you’ll always have soft hearts and open hands for those you are struggling or less fortunate than you. And I pray that God will use you. He’s given you both very different but incredible gifts and I hope that you’ll always be willing to use them for his honour and glory. Let me tell you that there is no better feeling than being in your sweet spot serving God with the gifts he’s given you.
May God continue to gift you with good friends to do life with and eventually, a life partner who will encourage you to continue to grow in faith. And through the hard years, and yes, there are always hard times because the gospel is not a promise of health or wealth or what the world calls happiness; I pray that you will have a faith and a church family who will encourage and nurture you, but challenge you too when you need it.
Church isn’t an extension of a social networking site though– it’s a living breathing place where you should be every week to hear the word of God spoken, taught and affirmed. It’s a place to worship God and it’s a place to serve others. It’s a place to be challenged and it’s a place to be loved when you are at your most unlovely. I’m proud (not the sinful type of course!) that you were baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ when you were just a few weeks old and I believe that God will honour his baptism – so remember, if you should ever feel like doing it, that you can run but you can’t hide from God. You belong to him and his body and you always will.
Faith and my church have been the most important things in my life apart from you guys and Dad. Put all 3 together and my life is pretty much complete.
I pray the same for you – I really do.
So here’s my last word (well 5 actually)– love Jesus, get to church – I don’t care which one as long as it preaches the gospel. Pretty much everything else either doesn’t matter that much or will fall into place around these two.
Love always - Mum xx