May 14, 2021
Dear FPC Tequesta Family,
As our season together comes to a close, I have found myself reflecting on the last five years I have served as your pastor. God’s Spirit has surely moved in us and through us during that time, which has not only enabled us to grow as a congregation, but has also enabled me to grow as a pastor, a person, and a disciple of Christ. Though all our experiences, I keep coming back to one word that encapsulates my feelings about my time here: Grateful.
Thank you for calling me to be your pastor. I am so grateful for my time here, for your willingness to let me walk with you and guide you, for every moment you let me into your life and have been open to listening to God’s voice with me. It’s been a privilege to serve you.
Thank you for pursuing Christ with me. I am grateful for the way we have explored God’s Word together. Being a faithful disciple is hard work! Thank you for encouraging me to lead you to grow in your faith. You have listened to the sermons I delivered and encouraged me after every one of them (even the challenging messages). You have dug into the Bible with me, striving to learn what it says for us and even struggling through tough texts. You have given your Wednesday mornings and evenings to share your life and faith with me as we grew together. I am a stronger disciple of Christ because of our shared journey of faith.
Thank you for inviting me to rejoice with you when you rejoiced and weep with you when you wept. I am grateful for all the moments we’ve shared together, even those that were difficult. I will treasure our conversations at church, sharing meals together in your home, and all the other moments you brought me into your family. You’ve welcomed me to celebrate important milestones such as promotions, engagements, weddings, births, anniversaries, and baptisms. You called on me when you were sick in the hospital, when you had a conflict with a loved one, and when someone close to you passed away. In good moments and hard, it was an honor to help you find God in the midst of everything and support you with love and prayer.
Thank you for loving my family and welcoming them into yours. I am grateful for every single one of you who cared for my wife and children, loving them the entire time. You held Hannah and Micah and kept them occupied when I was with others on Sunday. You changed their diapers and consoled them when they were upset. The Men’s Breakfast group served as surrogate great-grandfathers, welcoming Hannah to the table every Wednesday and involving her in each conversation. You reached out to Rachel and prayed with her and for her. You supported all of us in our most challenging time of grief after my mother’s passing. We have been so uplifted by every act of kindness, note of love and support, and every word of prayer spoken for us.
Thank you for leading the congregation with me. To all the elders and deacons who served with me, I am grateful for your leadership, especially your willingness to let me grow in mine. In an effort to lead the congregation in following Christ, we’ve done a lot together. We’ve prayed, encouraged and admonished one another, tried new ideas and strengthened old ones, taken risks, laughed and cried, navigated conflict, and we’ve succeeded and failed forward together. We have followed Christ together and I’m proud of all we have accomplished! You were encouraging when I was at my best and gracious when I made mistakes. All those moments (both easy and hard) have taught me so much about being an effective leader, and those lessons will help me for the rest of my life.
Thank you for teaching me about God, faith, and life. I am grateful for the many lessons I have learned from all of you. I know most think that a congregation is primarily supposed to learn from its pastor, but I have found the opposite to be true. Because of your willingness to share your life with me, I won’t have to learn every lesson the hard way. Believe me, that will be the gift that keeps on giving! You have shared your stories, insights, and experiences with me, and I have learned so much by listening to you. I promise to carry those with me wherever I go.
As we both embark on new seasons, my prayer is that God blesses the time we had together in a way that strengthens us for the journey ahead. I love you so much and cherish all my memories here. No matter where God takes us, you will always have a special place in my heart and in my prayers. Whether our paths cross again on earth or we have to wait until all of us are reunited in God’s glory, I look forward to seeing you again and hearing how God has continued to guide you. Until then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit sustain us all until the day Christ comes again.
In Christ,
Pastor Dan
