A Goodbye...
As Ruth and my time at Greater Portland comes to an end, we are thankful that God gave us this past year and a half with you all. Through our time at Greater Portland, we can confidently say that we have grown in our personal relationship with Jesus as well as our marriage. We have grown in our understanding of who Jesus is, what He’s called His Church to be, and our utter dependence on his Holy Spirit “to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).
We have been greatly blessed by our faith community’s gracious response to our decision to leave. The overwhelmingly encouraging and supportive feedback to the “why” we are leaving has been an answer to prayer and further affirmation for where we’ve sensed God leading us. While we are confident in our decision and excited for where God is leading us, saying goodbye is never enjoyable or easy. We will miss this community of believers and will miss being a part of this new season Greater Portland is stepping into. I believe this next year will be a foundational one for the church, and I am excited to see how the Lord continues to move in this faith community.
There are so many individuals and groups in our community who I am thankful to have served alongside this past year and a half: the Elders, the Staff, the Worship Ministry, the Global Partnership Team and our Global Partners and numerous others. It has been a gift to serve in my two roles (Worship and Global Partners), and I have learned so much more of the heart of Jesus from the incredible people that serve in those two ministries.
Ruth's and my last Sunday will be November 12. We will be moving to Indiana that next day to spend the holiday season with our family. At the start of the new year, we will start as the Director and Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at Harvest Bible Chapel Joliet in Joliet, Illinois. We are excited for this new chapter and thankful that we can have some extend time with family.
It is exciting to think that on November 12, as we say goodbye to Greater Portland, you will also be meeting your potential new lead pastor, Jay Gjurgevich. It will be a privilege to be here that day and to celebrate with everyone how Jesus continues to build His church. How faithful and good our God is!