A Tribute to a Friend

Last Friday afternoon Jo and I received a phone call to say that a dear friend of ours had passed away. His name was Ian Lugton. For the whole of our time in Warrnambool, Ian was pastor of the Warrnambool Christian Church. On the week we arrived in Warrnambool Ian was on our doorstep with a casserole and a warm welcome to the city. Over the next seven years we grew to become the closest of friends. His death was sudden and unexpected. He was a just a little older than myself and had always enjoyed good health and certainly lived a healthy and active lifestyle. His death has affected me deeply and on Thursday this week Jo and I are traveling to Warrnambool to attend his funeral.

I would like to take a moment to list some of the ways that Ian impacted my life:

• We prayed together every week for seven years
• We laughed together and drank endless cups of coffee
• We shared together at deeper level than I have with any other person outside of my family
• We cried together over the some of the deep hurts of life and ministry.
• We did crazy Kingdom projects together. We once decided to read the Bible out loud in the main street of Warrnambool from Genesis to Revelation over an Easter weekend.
• Ian had an incredible heart for the city. He saw his ministry being to the city and not just to a local church.
• Ian spent endless hours building bridges and removing barriers between churches in our city. He was often greatly misunderstood and endured many harsh words spoken about him by his brothers and sisters in Christ. Never once did I hear him respond or to speak ill of any other person, church or leader in our city. He passionately believed in the power of the Holy Spirit to move across our city.
• We often preached in one another’s churches.
• He poured his life into me.
• He spoke words of life and encouragement every time he saw me. I loved seeing him because I knew in advance that he would encourage and lift me up.
• Being with Ian just made me want to love Jesus more.
• Ian passionately loved his wife and his children and was unashamed of putting them first on so many occasions.
• Ian left a rich deposit of grace in my life. His life and passion touched my life in so many different ways.
• He seemed to know the truth of the words in Proverbs, ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’. Ian used his tongue to speak out words of life. He spoke words of life over me, over my church, over my ministry, over other churches and other leaders, over our city and over our nation. His life and witness touched many people. There are many people I could name that are now in the Kingdom because of Ian.
• His life was tragically cut short. It seems so hard to understand, yet in a few short years of ministry his influence will go on for many years to come.

Ian is gone from us. You and I are still here. What time do we have? I don’t know, but I do know this – We have today! Hebrews says that God has chosen a special day and set it aside – calling it TODAY. Whatever you are going to do with your one and only life – DO IT NOW.

Ian has gone, but he has left a legacy, a huge deposit in the lives of so many. I thank God for the privilege of knowing Ian Lugton. I express my love and support for his wife Lorrain and to all the family who will be feeling his loss much more than I am. Ian is now with Jesus. One day we will see him again and enjoy an eternity together in the courts of our great King. Bring on that day!



I only wish I had some better photos to show you.