As I prepared for the Administrative Board meeting and the Class Meeting and Member Care Ministry meetings that took place this past Sunday and weekend, one thought continued to stay in my heart. I felt that I needed to express my gratitude to our church leaders and congregation — gratitude that I had not fully expressed.
As we have walked through the COVID season and the many changes within the church, I am deeply thankful for your patience, your prayers, and your faithfulness in remaining where you were, holding the church together.
Over the past several years, we have walked through very difficult times.
Through the pandemic, denominational changes, and social challenges, we experienced seasons none of us expected. During this time, many members grew tired and weary, and many leaders had to carry heavy and difficult responsibilities.
And yet, we did not give up.
You prayed through hardship.
You remained faithful to the ministries entrusted to you.
Through your service and your giving, you helped sustain the church.
Some are stepping forward to serve in new ways, while others are stepping back for a season of rest. Please know this: none of your sacrifice has been in vain. The unseen tears, the silent endurance, the places you held without giving up — God remembers all of it. Today’s church stands on that faithfulness.
In our recent leadership gatherings, I emphasized this:
God is not looking for perfect leaders.
God is looking for leaders who will stand beside one person.
Someone who asks, “How are you doing?”
Someone who remembers names and prays for them.
Someone who quietly stays beside another when life is hard.
Through leaders like this, God renews and restores the church community.
If you ever find yourself wondering, “Am I doing this well enough?”
Please remember this:
If you are not giving up on one person, you are already doing something deeply meaningful in God’s kingdom.
In many lives today, emotional fatigue has accumulated deeply.
Many feels spiritually exhausted. Energy is not what it used to be, and ministry or relationships can sometimes feel overwhelming. This is not because faith has become weaker. It is because we have carried heavy seasons for a very long time. Because of this, our church hopes to move forward not as a ministry focused primarily on performance and results, but as a ministry centered on empathy and walking together.
I must also confess that these years have been heavy for me as well — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Looking back, I regret the times I could not be more present, more encouraging, and more comforting to each of you.
Especially with limited staff, our pastoral office had to carry many responsibilities just to keep ministry moving forward. There were times we could not reach every need as fully as we desired. I humbly ask for your understanding.
We are doing our best to strengthen our ministry staff. We are expecting to welcome a Children’s Ministry pastor around March, and we anticipate the appointment of an Executive Pastor around July. In addition, we are preparing to call at least two more pastoral care staff members. At our recent Board meeting, we agreed that we must invest as much as possible into strengthening ministry staffing this year. Thank you for your patience and long endurance.
The renewal and revival of the church do not begin with large programs. They begin with quiet love for one person. We were not called because we are perfect or highly capable. We were called because we have first received the great love of God — and now we are called to love others.
God does not build the church through perfect people.
God builds the church through those who remain, choosing to love.
