Heuertz writes, “Transitions are important and can actually be quite healthy for communities. The solutions to the problems connected to bad transitions should never lead to transitionless communities but to greater opportunities to act with honor and respect. 

Communities will fail and community members will, too, but it doesn’t have to be a devastating experience. Handling transitions well allows us to live beyond the pain and through the messiness of our community’s inevitable and natural rhythms. It helps us learn to celebrate transitions, receive them as gifts, and facilitate them. And ultimately, transitions handled well lead to stability.” pages 89-90

Finding community among God’s people is critical to our discipleship. That is how we sharpen one another, as iron sharpens iron. As a community, we are called to both encourage and offer accountability. This doesn’t always feel like freedom, but belonging to a community empowers us to live out our callings in Christ in ways that would be impossible without it.

Pray for the will to be an engaged member of the community of God’s people at Oakdale Park Church, and that through that community, you would be able to experience the blessing of blessing others.