My Church Closed

Today was the final gathering of Bent Creek Community Church in Nolensville, Tennessee.

For the past year we've had around twenty people who claimed to go to Bent Creek, but other than the pastor and his wife and us, rarely did more than ten show up any given Sunday.

Our pastor tried every thing he could to build his church.

My husband was committed as "worship pastor" and didn't miss more than two Sundays per year in the past three years. He was faithful to see this work through.

I'm elated to be free, and also feel a void already because I've prayed for the families that go/went to Bent Creek everyday. Each by name. I never remove a name from the lists in my prayer journal, but as a new chapter opens in our life, the old gets skimmed.

I prayed in 2008 that God would give Marty the work He was created for. That we could build long-term ministry, long-term relationships and long-term discipleship. Nowadays in ministry, I guess three years is long-term. Not to me.

I loved playing bass guitar on the worship team for the past year. Also, I enjoyed practicing the songs during the week at home with my husband. Our daughter sings along and sometimes "plays" her guitar, too. I don't want that to stop, so I do pray God continues to allow us to lift musical praise to Him. Even if it's just at home.

I'm going to let our next church experience unfold very slowly. We have lost the income, and that will make things tight while we re-adjust, but we have so many irons in the fire with our music business, and now antiques, that we do not feel any pressure to find a job in ministry. That is so freeing!

My husband spoke very little on our 25 minute drive home. He did mention that for the first time since he came to church with me when we were dating seven years ago that we don't have a church. We feel a bit orphaned in that regard.

We are going to spend the next few weeks visiting all the churches around us that we've always wondered about. We're going to visit all of our friends' churches, and see what some of our friends in ministry are up to. I'm looking forward.

So, good-bye Bent Creek. It is a mix of loss and relief. For us all.


"Do not remember the former things, 
Nor consider the things of old. 
Behold, I will do a new thing, 
Now it shall spring forth; 
Shall you not know it? 
I will even make a road in the wilderness  
And rivers in the desert."
Isaiah 43:18-19