Stepping Away
Dear Church Family,
On Monday, I’ll begin my sabbatical—a time to rest, reflect, and reconnect with the Lord, with Libby, and with Naomi. I want to say thank you. Thank you, church family, for your grace and generosity in giving me this space. It’s a gift I don’t take lightly, and it speaks volumes about your love as a church. As I prepare to step away for these next several weeks, I wanted to leave you with four words of encouragement—four things I hope you’ll lean into as a church family while I’m stepping away…
1. Stay ROOTED in the Word.
Let God’s Word continue to shape your thoughts, soften your heart, and guide your everyday life. He speaks through it—always relevant, always life-giving. We’ve been talking about the fruit of the Spirit quite a bit on Sunday mornings as we study through the book of Galatians. It’s vital to recognize that if we want to see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, then we must sow to the Spirit. This means we invest our time, energy, and resources into things that matter for His Kingdom. Prioritizing Scripture becomes a vital component as we seek Him.
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” —Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.” —2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
2. SHOW UP for One Another.
Someone once said that the key to most of life is just showing up. The quote is really simplistic, but it does highlight the importance of consistency and presence. It also suggests that simply being present and available, or starting the process, is a significant step towards growth. Your presence matters. In a world full of distractions and distance, just being present in worship, prayer, and friendship builds up the body of Christ. So, let me encourage you to show up. Show up in prayer. Show up in worship. Show up on Sunday mornings. Show up for your family. Show up when people are in need. Show up. We talked a little about it last Sunday from Galatians 6 when we said that God designed us to need each other.
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another…” —Hebrews 10:24–25 (NLT)
3. Find ways to SERVE.
You are gifted, and you are needed. Serving—no matter how visible or quiet—draws us closer to Jesus and points others to Him. These coming weeks provide so many opportunities for you to show up and serve. Our Graffiti Outreach event is just a couple of weekends away where we hand out bottled waters and hot dogs to the community during the parade. Our True North Vacation Bible School is right after that and is such a great time for all involved. Plus there are so many ways to serve on a Sunday morning and throughout the week. For ideas reach out to one of our elders, call Pastor Darren, or the church office.
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” —1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
4. KEEP Your Eyes on Jesus.
He is the Good Shepherd, the Cornerstone, and the Head of His church. Keep Him at the center of everything.
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” —Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
“Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.” —Colossians 1:18 (NLT)
I’m really looking forward to seeing you this Sunday—our last Sunday together before my sabbatical begins. It would mean so much to me to have a time of prayer and sending as we worship together. During my sabbatical if you need anything that you normally would call me about, please know that Pastor Darren and our elders are committed to being available for you during my absence. Their names are listed below and you can get their contact information from the church directory or by calling/emailing the church office.
Know that I love you deeply, and I’ll carry you in my prayers throughout this season.
As a closing blessing, I leave you with this powerful prayer from Paul:
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”—Ephesians 3:14–21 (NLT)
Blessings,
Pastor Daniel
If you have any needs during my sabbatical this summer, you can reach out by replying to this email or directly contacting Pastor Darren, or any of our elders (John Hooper, Rich Hooper, Mike Nichols, Shaun Ryan, Arlene Skaugset, & Dean Soper) by calling the church office.
