I have
been a long time in writing, and have a few updates to share.
Call and Ordination
As I
mentioned last year, Pastor Carl Bergman (the lead pastor at New Hope) took a
sabbatical from October 2013 – February 2014, and as Intern Pastor, I was
functioning as the sole pastor during this period. Over his sabbatical, it
became clear to Carl that God was leading him to step down from pastoring New
Hope and to enter a partial retirement. (He will still be working for the
denomination in this region.)
Following
this news, New Hope later extended a call to me to serve as lead (long-term) pastor.
Through a period of thought and prayer, God gave me a sense of peace about the
call, and I accepted in late February. It will be a privilege to continue to
serve the congregation and city in this region!
In
mid-March, at our regional denominational leadership meeting, I was examined in
my faith and life, preaching, and biblical and theological understanding.
Although I certainly approached the exam with some trepidation, it was a very affirming
time—and especially encouraging to have family and several long-time friends
and mentors there. Now that I have been ordained, there will be a special
ordination/installation service at New Hope on April 27th. Thank you
for all your support and prayers leading up to this point! I know I will
continue to need them in the coming years.
Coaching
I just
started coaching tennis at a local high school, and as always it’s a delight to
work with the team. We have 17 students, and already I see several potential
captains/leaders among them. It can be exhausting to coach on top of everything
else, but in many ways it’s even more refreshing to run practices and be able
to mentor these students in an enjoyable and challenging athletic context. Please
pray that this season provides opportunities to point the students and their
families to Christ.
Easter
Our Ephesians sermon
series will be finishing up this Sunday, and we are praying that next week’s
Easter service will be a time when many others will have the opportunity to
hear the gospel. In addition, as we have gained more young families in our
congregation and anticipate the birth of four more babies within these next couple
months, we will also be giving out The Jesus Storybook Bible on Easter
morning to all families with children. (This is the best children’s Bible I
have seen, showing how the whole of Scripture points to Jesus. I actually
bought my own copy as well; it’s well worth it for children and adults!)
New
Members
It’s been a privilege to teach a new members’ class that will conclude this
upcoming Sunday. Two long-time members are co-leading the class with me, and
three couples are participating. We spent the first week addressing the foundations
of Christianity, seeking to answer the question, “What is the gospel?” The
gospel is something that Christians are called to live into, not move
past—so it never loses its relevance. It’s like a good book that only gets
better the more we read it. The second class focused on our Reformed “accent”, with
an overview of the Reformation, Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons
of Dort, and our denomination in particular. Our last class will focus on membership
at New Hope in particular. We will discuss the history of New Hope and its membership
covenant, and also the importance of addressing previous church experiences—forgiving
where necessary before pursuing membership at New Hope.
As always,
thank you for your prayers—I know we need them. And if you find yourself in
Maine sometime in the next few years, please let me know; I will now be here
past this year!
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