I. You shall not compare the old Pastor and the new Pastor, for the Lord your God has made each person unique and wishes you to appreciate each original creation.
II. You shall not expect everything to stay the same when the new Pastor arrives. Nor shall you resist change, nor assume that change is bad, but you shall trust that the Lord your God isn’t finished with your church yet and is bringing change for your good and the good of your mission.
III. You shall not make graven images of your old grudges, nor shall you keep stale disappointments in the temple of your heart, but you shall forgive and move on in the grace of the Lord your God, for how can you ask God for mercy unless you give mercy from your heart?
IV. You shall not commit gossip, nor shall you fearfully complain, nor shall you listen to those who do, but instead you shalt entreat them to adjust their attitudes and lighten up, for everything shall be alright, and in fact, shall turn out very well indeed – better than you can even imagine.
V. You shall not commit nostalgia or say that the old days were better, for in so doing you shall make your judgment come true. Be assured that the Lord your God is not falling asleep at the wheel, but will be with you and surprise you with abundant blessings, more than you can contain or count.
VI. You shall not factionalize nor create “us-them” divisions, but you shall unify with your brothers and sisters even when they annoy or confuse you.
VII. You shall not come to the new pastor with your demands, pressure, complaints, bad reports, manipulations, threats, agendas, unsolicited advice, or snide comments. But you shall say, “Welcome! How can we help you? We love you! We would like to increase our giving significantly. We’re praying for you and your family. Welcome to our community! We baked you some cookies!” And each week, you shall do so again and again until the new pastor begs you to stop.
VIII. You shall increase your giving, and not withhold your tithe, but invest thy money and your heart in the future of the community of faith and mission.
IX. You shall not come to your old and former pastor with anything but praise for the new pastor, but you may bring your concerns to God in humble prayer, and if you must, you may also share concerns with the duly appointed leaders of the church.
X. Most important, trust God, and stay connected to God, and draw strength from God, staying deeply rooted in the message of God’s grace. For God is good, and God will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on that for sure!