This is our Youth Pastor's last week and it is a sad time for me. I have grown to love Steve Rahn, and I believe that God has knit our hearts together in just two years. He is an incredibly gifted young man and God is going to use him and his wonderful wife in an incredible way in New England. I look forward to sustaining our friendship via the modern cheap means of communication God has blessed us with in the 21st Century. I hope that anyone who sees his departure in a negative way will repent of that sin and realize that Steve is leaving to assist another church with less staff and less resources to fulfill the Great Commission. Steve has God's call in His life and it's imperative that he be obedient. We, BBC, need to rejoice that another man like Matt or Tim or John is leaving BBC to plant churches—this is what it means to be an Acts 1.8 church. There are others on staff who will eventually leave as well. This cannot and should not be seen as anything other than a fulfillment of the Great Commission.
The 1st century church in Jerusalem sent men out—ordained and commissioned by them. We must be controlled by the Spirit of God and when our carnal fleshly brains become negative, we must seek the Spirit of God's help in rebuking thoughts of negativity and rejoice in God's good blessing in being able to be a part of something much, much bigger than the ministry at 517 Glensford Drive. This is not some spin message or talking point to cover up a departure of someone on staff like a political administration does.
This is what we want as a church, we want to employ young men—let them cut their theological and ministerial teeth here—and then depart with the blessing of God and His Church to serve all over the Kingdom of God. One church in MN tells of 84 men who are presently in the ministry all over the world from one church. I wish Berean would have kept detailed records of the number of men who have been called to preach out of it.
For those who don't know, Steve was hired to teach English at the Academy a few years ago. God solidified His divine call on His life through the ministry of BBC—this is an incredible thing. Would we like to keep Steve- absolutely! But he must do the will of God. He is leaving a ministry rich in resources and blessings to go to a much tougher environment—some have wondered about that and allowed their mind to make wrong conclusions from that. Don't. This young couple earnestly seeks to do God's will above all else. Nearly every aspect of their lives reflects a desire for God's Will, more than anything else. They are not materialistic or vain, and they are remarkably mature for their ages. Our loss is another church's blessing. But the kingdom of God is much, much bigger than BBC—we must adopt a Kingdom Mindset and realize that in a very small way the influence of this ministry will be felt in New England.
I truly look forward to having Steve back to preach and to see through his preaching ministry how He is maturing in the faith and the grace of our Lord and Savior King Jesus.
