Tears, Joys, Challenges – What A Year

Dear church family,

As I sit in my office today there is a lot running through my mind. June is an ending month. Our ministry year is coming to a close as is our budget year. This is a time for looking back and being thankful for all that has happened in the last twelve months. July is a beginning month so June is also a time of looking forward and getting excited about with anticipation as to what God might do in the next 365 days. Let me share a few thoughts from both perspectives.

These last twelve months have included many exciting events and happenings. The Lord provided a replacement for Pastor Jim Galbraith by leading Pastor Greg Hummel to us. Greg has come on staff and been a huge asset in caring for people through prayer, counseling, and being our ‘church chaplain’. He, Laura, and their kids have been a great blessing to our congregation. He is also a real help to me in many ways. God has been so good to us in bringing them here. In the next few months, as he moves from part-time to full time, I know many of you will be greatly encouraged through his work.

Speaking of staff changes, keep praying for Tim and Jana Krumal and their children. Tim has been moved to disability, and Cobra for his family insurance. Tim continues to slowly improve and we are praying that God brings about his full recovery from the cancer. He has a bit of road to travel before being ready to return to full time work. He remains a member of our church staff in a voluntary capacity. Tim has communicated that he does not want to return to his specific duties that he held herebefore, but is feeling the call of the Lord to put his gifts to work in a variety of other capacities. We have agreed, once he is fully recovered, to review what he wants to do in ministry and see where we are as a body. The Lord knows the future and we trust Him to work all things out.

As Tim and Jana move to disability and Cobra it will mean that they will have more family expenses. I encourage you to pray for them. If you would like to give to their needs you can do so through our church office by contributing to the ‘Deacons Fund’. We use this fund to meet the needs of people within our congregation and those who come to us with needs. This fund is used exclusively for meeting the needs of families. Your generosity has been exemplary and I am confident that folks will continue to give to help the Krumal family.

The Elder Board has decided to replace Pastor Tim’s position with a Ministry Administration Pastor. We have about 20 ministry teams here at AGCC and those who lead these teams are volunteers. We need a Pastor to help organize, train, encourage, and lead these teams of volunteers. The Lord has graciously brought us Dave Wickstrom. Dave, Heidi, and their two children have been at AGCC for almost a year now and Dave has served as a local school administrator for the past 21 years. We are excited to welcome him to our staff on June 18. I am very excited to see what the Lord does through Dave’s work in managing all these wonderful ministry teams. At our Ministry Faire in August we expect to have about 25 ministry teams for you to choose from.

As I look forward to the next twelve months I see us doing something about our facility vision. We have been praying for more space. We have been asking the Lord to show us how to balance vision, budgets, and facility needs. Our building is used to capacity on Sundays and Wednesdays. I believe God is answering our prayer and this coming year I expect to see a plan fall into place to create more space for our ministries. God has been so good to us in so many ways.

I share all these things so that I can ask you to pray. Please pray for your church leaders who are seeking the Lord and trying to stay on top of all that is happening. Pray for wisdom and discernment that we may know exactly what the Lord is leading us to do. Pray that we will have the courage to do what He shows us. This year will be filled with excitement, filled with surprises, and filled with even bigger challenges than ever before.

In the midst of all of these changes I am filled with joy! I truly do love being your pastor. There is no place I can imagine being other than right here, serving you and working side-by-side to make Jesus more famous in the Foothills and around the world.