Change is good. Right?

Today was a bittersweet day for us. For me. Today was the last day our Senior Pastor preached at our Sunday morning service.

He has been called to relocate to a different church. A church that very badly needs a new and wonderful leader. He will be that leader, I am sure of it.

Our history with this church goes back 4 years. We had been searching for a new church. Nothing seemed to fit our needs as a family. Mike and Blake are both Catholic. I was raised Methodist. So we were church shopping, if you will. A friend from work kept telling me we should check out her church.

So finally I said to Mike, "We should go check out J's church this Sunday" He said, "Sure, why not?" As soon as we walked in.. we felt like we were home.

The following Friday, we lost Lilly.

We didn't attend church for several weeks while I healed physically and we all healed emotionally.

We were anxious and nervous about going back after so long. We had nothing to worry about. We were welcomed in with open arms.

The history of this church is that it started out with just under 300 people in a small chapel. It has now grown to almost 1500 people and a new auditorium has been built to house all of us. We came in around the 1000 mark. Pastor Scott has been a huge part of that growth.

He initially turned down the offer to take the job at the other church. But agreed to be a consultant for them as they struggle to grow and change. In the months that he met with them, he began to feel called there by God. He grew excited about the possibilities of that church. It was then that he decided to make that his new church home.

I will tell you... he is an amazing man. He preaches with humor and humility. He preaches with honesty. He tells stories from the bible in ways that you "get it". He relates the oldest tales to our own lives and time.

In the 4 years that we have been attending we have not really been very involved with the church, other than going to worship and going to family faith nights that they host. Our son goes to Vacation Bible School. Last year was the first year Mike volunteered at VBS. I have tried volunteering in kidzone (sunday school)... but it just didn't seem to fit. I even tried in the baby room, but it was too difficult for me.

But every time Pastor Scott saw us... in church or in the community, he addressed us by name! By NAME! Out of over 1000 people that he led..... he knew our names.

I could go on. But I will stop here. And just say that I am sad to see Pastor Scott go. I will miss him deeply. But I pray that his journey will be smooth and that his new church family will welcome him, as he has welcomed so many into this family.

God Bless you Pastor Scott, Angie, Duncan, Connor and Grace.