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God's Winds of Change
If you were at 10:00am worship last week, you heard about my walk with Chandler during the children’s message. How I was struck that day by the wind blowing all the little seedlings throughout the world. That we are like God’s seeds blown out into the world to share God’s love. I came to this realization through our pentecost reading from Acts 2: 1-2 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. “ I am struck by the blowing of God’s sometimes violent winds. Winds that push us to try new things and leap outside of our comfort zones and try something new. Winds of change that lead us and guide us in the new thing that God is doing. And the winds that cool and refresh on an especially hot Summer day!
This Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday. Another church celebration day and a reminder to look for God all around. And in the spirit of the Pentecost wind, feel God blowing in our midst. We will say good-bye (kinda) to Kelsey Russell whose presence at Grace this past year was a needed aid for our children’s ministry programming. She said yes to a blowing wind, I would say, that pushed her to grow, try something new, and leap out of her comfort zone at times. Little did any of us know that the Friday before she would begin her supervisor (me) would have a stroke and need to be on medical leave. Kelsey took all this in stride and worked with Pastor Joanna and others on staff as well as our children’s ministry team to continue the spectacular commitment we have to our children and young families at Grace! It seems a new wind is blowing for Kelsey. And although she will remain a member at Grace she will be leaving her position on staff. I am so excited for her and I am sad to see her leave this position! Most of all I am glad she will still be around at Grace!
The wind continues to blow. Our Child, Youth, and Family (CYF) Department has seen a lot of change and transition over the past few years and God is guiding and leading us forward through these winds of change. We are so excited to share that Will Weikle will be our new Child, Youth and Family Director. Will is a lifetime member of Grace and was the best candidate for the position. His work managing 1st grade classrooms, musical gifts, relational heart, hunger to learn and grow, and his excitement for ministry make him the perfect candidate for this position! God's spirit was definitely guiding all involved that lead to this decision for Grace. Please join me in welcoming Will and celebrating where God is leading us in our CYF department! Will will join us for Vacation Bible School at Lord of Life and will be officially onboarded to staff mid July! We plan to welcome him through an installation during worship this summer. This hiring decision is reflective of God’s provision, Grace’s stability and growth looking ahead to our future ministry here!
Many people at Grace have helped through this transition, Molly Schroeder, our interim CYF director, her expertise in this area made continuing meaningful programming for our youth and their families a cool and refreshing breeze! Kelsey’s leadership with Children’s ministry also helped us immensely, including her commitment to helping set us up for future success in her transition from the position. The Children’s Ministry Team and Youth Ministry team made of lay leaders, committed members of Grace who care deeply for faith formation of our children and youth. It was because of them we had such a great year! The CYF listening team and search and interview team also brought their expertise about Grace, Human Resources and their hearts to make this decision. I am so grateful for them for their availability, flexibility, and discernment throughout this process. Lastly, thank you to all of you at Grace who have prayed for us. We ask that you would continue to pray and wonder if God’s winds might be pushing you to get involved in this area of ministry at Grace?
I give thanks that God is at work among us! Offering a refreshing breeze, encouragement, and even a push from time to time as we live our lives of faith together!
Pastor Maria Markman
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