"What God has led us through is an extremely precious gift. It was a beautiful thing,” said Adie Johnson. She was referring to a service of reconciliation held at Crestview Christian Reformed Church in Boulder, Colo., where she is an elder.
Back in 2004, the church made some program and schedule changes that some members found exciting, but others found too drastic. The church abandoned the changes the following year, but wounds lingered. Elder Marty Huisjen explained, “What really hurt a lot of us was that people who worshiped together, who were close friends in Christ, were now starting to doubt each other’s motives.”
Last fall Crestview’s elders decided that reconciliation needed to be made with members both past and present. They contacted more than 80 families who had been affected—some still with the church, others who had left. Through telephone calls and face-to-face meetings, they attempted to right past wrongs. The final act was a service of reconciliation, held Jan. 31.
On their knees, the leaders led a prayer of repentance. “We want to confess to those times when we as a church have held too tightly to that which is not ours, the church itself,” Huisjen prayed. “We acknowledge that when we put anything, even good things, before loving You and loving others, we have stepped outside Your will.”
The service concluded with communion and a prayer led by both the former pastor Rev. Mark Tidd and current pastor, Rev. Art DeBruyn.
A former Crestview attendee, Karen Boelts, reflected, “Crestview taught us a lot about love and held us up when we needed it. I don’t think I ever grieved the loss of that community until the service. I am grateful to have been able to be a part of it.”
About the Author
Sarah Boonstra is the Banner's regional news correspondent for classes Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone.
