Ryan and I spent a year and a half at an incredible church in Charleston, SC. Coastal Community Church, that church family was our family away from family. It was bittersweet when we had to say our goodbyes, or rather, our see you later just weeks after our daughter was born. Father’s Day 2014 was our last Sunday at our church. Not only was it Ryan’s first Father’s Day, we also had Novella dedicated by Pastor Chris, said See you Later to Ryan’s mom and our entire church family.

Pastor Chris wrote a very encouraging note on my facebook page the following day, I have really had to remind myself about one aspect of it. He stated, “ By the way, don’t try to replace Coastal. It can’t be done. That’s not fair to your new church home and your new Pastor. I tell that to people all the time who come to our church from that home church that has a special place in their heart, maybe where they first came to faith, or really got involved. We can never replace that and I wouldn’t want to. However, God is going to bring you to a new season and do a new thing in your lives with a new Pastor and a new church family. They will need you and you will need them.”

It’s terribly hard not to compare churches to those that have meant so much to you. While we have found a new church and feel that it is where we are supposed to be right now, it’s not Coastal. A few nights ago,  as Ryan and I lied in bed, I was scrolling through facebook and saw a bunch of posts about the testimony that was shared Sunday morning at Coastal, and I became heartsick. I stated to Ryan, “I really miss Coastal”, and he replied, “Me too”. Then I was gently reminded by those words of Pastor Chris, Don’t try to replace Coastal. 

The church we find ourselves at now is called Sturgeon Bay Community Church. It is a small non-denominational church in our new town. While it is not Coastal, it IS our new church home. We prayed for months before we came that God would prepare our hearts and the hearts of those that we would encounter so that we would be able to touch others lives and vice versa. A couple of weeks after arriving in town we went and tried out this church. Right away we felt like it was where God had set a place for us. We quickly began to make friends and develop relationships and do life with others. We quickly got plugged in with a life group, and began spending time with our new friends outside of church.

Some of my new friends from church encouraged me to start my blog up and write about things I have learned, some of my story and whatever else was on my mind. So thank you for that! 

The music may be different
The preaching may be different
The people may be different

HOWEVER

The God is still the same
The Word is still the same
The Relationship is still the same

So why did I sit down and write this blog today. My heart was weary as I remembered my former church family, I was feeling discouraged and having a very hard time adjusting. As I wrote this God simply spoke to me and said, “Micah, why are you questioning and comparing? I have your right where I want you”. What a sweet and gentle reminder. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME! Although it isn’t the same, our God still is. We have met many new friends and have been blessed far beyond what we could have imagined being in a new town. Thank you God for all of your blessings and answered prayers.