Dear Mount Olympus Presbyterian Church,
I am so grateful that God has led us to this point in our
discernment process with your Pastor Nominating Committee. My family and I are
eager to meet you, one way or another, during this strange and difficult season
of global pandemic. From the conversations I’ve had with your PNC families, a
few staff members, and Pastor Steve, I have felt an ease of relatability that
has led me to believe that serving as your pastor for many years to come would
bring me great joy. My own due diligence has led me to believe that the
multi-generational and Christ-centered ministry of MOPC would resonate with me
very much.
My deepest sense of vocation is to follow Jesus Christ with my
whole self, in every area of my life. Out of my own journey with Christ, I am
grateful to offer my gifts of preaching, teaching, spiritual formation,
pastoral care and leadership to come alongside a community seeking God’s will
together. This is the essence of my calling, and my greatest joy and burden.
My wife, Devon, and our three children, Hannah, Abby, and Lucas,
are among the greatest gifts that I bring with me to the ministry of the
Church. Devon and I are blessed with a kind, loving, active and healthy family,
and we find joy in offering our life together as a blessing to others. As a
family, we are eager for the opportunity to build meaningful and
Christ-centered relationships with you.
Though I have not met you, I have been praying for you since this
past August, and my prayers will continue in the weeks to come. Especially as
we navigate these uncharted waters of the Coronavirus and how it may shape our
futures, I trust that our deepest fears and greatest hopes will be met in the
person of Jesus Christ, who promises to be with us always, even until the end
of the age. To that end, it would be my utmost commitment to always point the
congregation to Christ while seeking his wisdom for how to respond in faith and
trust.
We are very much looking forward to our upcoming visit, even with
the limitations we all have to accept. My prayer for you in the days to come is
echoed from Paul’s words to the Church in Rome: May the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
With Gratitude in Christ,
Chris