The Journey to the Sanctuary

The elders recently received a great email from someone in our church asking each one of us to tell them our journey to affirming the potential new name "The Sanctuary." As I read the elders responses I thought it would be great if all of you could hear some personal testimonies of why the sanctuary and what it means to each one of us...so here is the first one - it is from Mike Willer.

"I will share with you some of the ways God has worked in me as I have prayed about this. I was initially opposed to changing the name as I think nearly everyone was. It is part of our human reaction to change. Personally, I had no issues with the name Crosstown Church, and my initial response to the notion that our name doesn't reflect who we are is that neither does Willow Creek Church or Saddleback Church. It is not the name that defines a church, but rather the people. I was concerned too much importance was being placed on the name.

However, I knew that God had laid this on the hearts of the staff, so I intentionally laid aside my human reactions and opened my heart to the concept. What I found is that God used my own argument that our name is not important and turned it around on me. He confirmed in my heart that since the name is not who we are, I should not hold tightly to it just because that's what it has always been.

In fact, as I think about it even now, I am reminded that names in the Bible were changed occasionally, and it was always to commemorate something significant. The examples that come to mind are Saul to Paul and Jacob to Israel. That affirms it for me even more because I believe this is a significant time in the history of our church. The elders have felt it for some time and talk about it often. We know we are on the verge of something big. We're not entirely sure what it is, but God is already moving in our body and in our community. We know we will look back on these past few months and realize it was a crucial time for us and a launching point for what God is about to accomplish -- even and especially without a building of our own. As we strive to follow His lead, using the vision that He has given to Ronn as a guide, this is the perfect time to commemorate the start of something big with a name change. The Sanctuary is a name that signifies who we are (the dwelling place of God) as well as what we are not (a church that is all about a permanent building).

One point someone brought up at the meeting was that his friends did not go to church and did not know the Bible, so telling them that he went to the Sanctuary would sound more heavy and churchy than Crosstown Church. I have the opposite reaction when I hear that. For those people, the opportunities to hear about the Word are limited, and telling them you go to the Sanctuary lends you a perfect opportunity to explain what it means. You can dispel the idea that a sanctuary is a big marble building where they wouldn't want to go, and tell them what the Bible says a sanctuary is. This is how God reaches the lost, and something as simple as a name change can create those opportunities to have the conversation.

Another thing that God has made clear to me is that no decision of ours either way is going to make or break His ability to accomplish His purpose. Whether our neighbors come to know Him or not, whether our church grows or not, whether the community is impacted or lives are changed -- it is all out of our hands. He can do His work with or without us and in spite of what we do or what we call our church. Thankfully, He has offered us the incredible opportunity to join Him in His work. It is our heart's desire to do just that, and we feel strongly that the Sanctuary fits so well with the vision, with who we already are as a church, and with our conviction that God is dwelling among us and is moving in a mighty way toward something great.

It is true that we can carry out the vision of building homes of faith without a name change as you suggested. That's exactly what we will do if our congregation does not support this proposal. You should feel comfortable to vote your heart after surrendering any personal convictions that may hinder you. I don't believe you are going against the leadership if you vote against this proposal. My encouragement to you is to examine, no matter which way you vote, the motives of your heart. Jesus is always more concerned about that than the actual outcome.

Thank you for seeking us out and for being genuinely interested in our own hearts on this matter. I will pray that God gives you and everyone else clear guidance and a peaceful spirit as we all seek to follow Him."

Blessings to you and your family,

Mike