#DearProphet
Every year, I counsel
#prophets about how to transition from one spiritual house to another.
Sometimes they listen.
Sometimes they don't.
Sometimes they get mad.
Other times they're glad.
I realize now much of how they feel and how they react also has a lot to do with their grief process.
Here's what I call:
The Truth About Grief & Transition from One Church To The Next
Today while at an awards nominee luncheon I listened as one of the nominee’s spoke of needing a new church home, because after so many years in ministry and pastoring, her beloved Pastor decided to close the church.
You could tell even though she understood, she was in the midst of transition struggling to find a spiritual place to call home and more.
Later, when she asked me for my card, I began to speak from my heart.
“As you search for a home, keep in mind you just need a place to sit in the back if need be or where-ever you feel led and cry …and grieve.” I shared.
“Yes!” She agreed. “It really feels like losing something!” she continued.
“You did lose something. You loss your spiritual home that you had been a part of for years. You lost a Pastor you came to love! So it really is like experiencing death!” I declared.
“You are right. I just was talking to someone about this the other day!”
As we continued the conversation, I explained how God had given me the term Spiritual Foster Care for those like her in the midst of transition.
Her eyes widened as she listened intently.
All too often I come across many in transition from one ministry to the next, who haven’t taken the time to grieve or identify the process they are in.
Whether it’s forced transition like the one I mentioned above or a planned exit created by the one leaving, the fact of the matter is, there will be grief.
Grief comes in many forms.
Unfortunately, we almost never hear about the grief we experience when it’s time to leave a church.
Yet, it does exist.
When we are truthful with ourselves, we’ll be able to identify the feelings and emotions we experienced while in transition really can be labeled GRIEF.
Though all don’t necessarily go through the same process of grief, it’s pretty much the same as most common theories explain:
1. Denial;
2. Anger;
3. Bargaining;
4. Depression;
5. Acceptance.
Then there are the “symptoms” that you experience right after the loss even when you are happily searching for a new spiritual home.
Shock and disbelief
Sadness
Guilt
Anger
And yes, Physical symptoms as well, like loss of appetite, weight-gain, pains, aches and yes, even insomnia.
During this time of transition, it’s important to be able to recognize where you are and land somewhere people will allow you to go through the process of grief even in your new home or temporary home.
Fact is: it happens even when the transition is a "happy" one, like those that come with new marriages, new job transfers etc ... Yep, it's happened to me too.
Back in the day, while growing up in
Omaha, Nebraska I remember hearing about watch-care when people joined churches while in a city temporarily. While living in
Nashville, Tennessee I saw lots of college students take advantage of watch-care.
Now days, we offer this type of care at Global Prophetic Life Training & Worship Embassy the prophetic hub of
The Global Institute of Church & Marketplace Prophets here in
Jacksonville, Floridafor those believers in transition.
We call it FOSTER-CARE, so those in transition know and understand they can connect in covenant with a temporary place to call home while they are being healed without being or feeling forced to commit or over-commit too soon.
The truth about transitioning from one church to the next, is it can hurt more than you anticipated simply because you never imagined, this type of grief.
Selah
#DwannHolmesRollinson
#ApostleDwann
www.DwannHolmesRollinson.com
www.ApostolicCovering.com
