THE GIFT OF SEASONS

Erik McRitchie, Missional Community - Tuscany

RockPointe family,

Blessings to all of you as I write from my office here in Tuscany. Summer is on the cusp, kids will soon be off school keeping us parents busy, and we’ll enter into a new season that I pray is marked with much rest and joy for you and your families. My prayer is that Jesus will be so clearly evident and present in our lives and that through the regular rhythms of our days we would all have a deep sense of His nearness, His leading, and His delight in us, His kids. Lord, may it be so.

Seasons change, and that’s one of the gifts of living here on the edge of the Rockies. Every season carries something unique and beautiful with it. I love summer deeply, but I recently spent some time in the Jalisco Highlands of Mexico where the days were consistently hot, dry, and sunny. While I certainly appreciated the warmth, it also reminded me how much I value the changing seasons we experience here in Alberta. There’s something about the rhythm of seasons, the contrast, the transitions, that shapes us and keeps us grounded. I was reminded again that there truly is something beautiful to be found in each and every season.

The same is often true in our spiritual lives and within the life of the church. Some seasons feel exciting and full of momentum, while others feel uncertain, refining, or even uncomfortable. This, friends, is indeed the life of faith. Yet Scripture reminds us over and over again that God is faithful in EVERY season. He does not abandon His people in transition; often, He does some of His deepest work there. In moments where we feel the tension of change, God seems to show up right when and where we need Him.

As a church, we find ourselves in one of those seasons right now. Change can be difficult and, if we’re honest, it can stir up questions, emotions, and even weariness. But I genuinely believe this can also become a profoundly hope-filled season for our church family.

RockPointe has been home for our family for nearly 20 years now. It’s a place we love deeply, a place where we’ve encountered Jesus, built lifelong friendships, raised our kids, served alongside many of you, and experienced the faithfulness of God time and time again. We feel deeply called to this church community and because of that, I find myself filled not with fear for what’s ahead, but with genuine hope and expectancy.

God is still present. He is still leading. He is still shaping and refining His people for His purposes. Time and time again, the Lord has reminded me that our best days are still ahead, that He is indeed at work, and longs to make much of our church and our lives.

This week I’ve been reflecting on Acts 6 and 7. It has been a great reminder that the early church too was navigating seasons of transition and tension. Leadership structures were changing, responsibilities were shifting, and yet in the middle of it all, the apostles remained devoted to prayer, the ministry of the Word, and a commitment to one another. We’re introduced to Stephen, a man described as being “full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” Even amid uncertainty and opposition, his eyes remained fixed on Jesus. It strikes me that the Church did not shrink back during that season; it deepened in dependence on God and continued moving forward with courage, wisdom, and unity.

I believe there’s something important for us in tha:. Devotion to prayer, the Word, and one another.

One of the things I’ve been especially encouraged by in the past week or so is God’s provision of Pastor Ian to help guide us through this transition. I’ve had the chance to know Ian, even if mostly from afar, over the past couple of decades and I’ve often been struck by his humility, gentleness, wisdom, and steady love for the Church. After decades of ministry experience, there’s a calm and grounded presence he carries that already feels like a gift to our community.

More than anything though, I’m grateful that his heart seems deeply centered on Jesus and on helping lead people toward Him. I believe that matters immensely in a season like this. I believe that Ian will love and lead us well and for this I am deeply thankful.

This season will require all of us to continue leaning into prayer, grace, patience, unity, and expectancy for what God wants to do among us. And personally, I’m hopeful because Jesus has always been faithful to lead His Church.

My prayer is that this season would draw us toward greater dependence on God, deeper unity with one another, renewed hunger for prayer and Scripture, and a fresh expectancy for what the Holy Spirit wants to do among us personally and corporately. I truly believe God has more for our church ahead and I believe some of the most meaningful growth often begins in seasons of change because it’s there where we can learn to trust Him again in deeper ways.

Remember Church, Jesus is indeed faithful. He Loves us and has a beautiful plan for this season of our lives!

Grace and Peace,

Erik