We're refocusing our eyes to God and others in 2021. In his weekly update, Pastor Danny reflects on his retirement coming this fall, the plan for the search process, and an update to the Who's Your One rally. Take a look!
Hello Church!
Thanks so much for the kind words and messages of encouragement since I announced my retirement plan on Sunday. It is a big life step for sure, and I really appreciate your support. The time for this move is right for me and Janice, but more importantly, the time is right for Shades. As we move into a post-pandemic world, there will be changes and some new normals. It is time for a new pastor to address these challenges and gather with our staff and formulate an exciting new vision for Shades. The timing is ideal because our facilities and finances are in great shape and he will be able to come in with a clean white board with no impediments. So we are going to get right to work, and the search for a new pastor will get underway immediately. This Sunday during worship, I will provide some details about the process. I’ll be sharing the names of the people on the search committee and information on the timeline for the next several months.
Throughout the process, we will keep you posted on what’s happening and provide regular updates on how things are going. In the meantime please be praying for both the search committee and for the one who will be our next pastor. As I said in the State of the Church address, 2021 is going to be an exciting time in ministry everywhere and especially here at Shades as we re-focus our eyes on God and on others; as we re-think the way we do things, and as we re-set for what … and who …God will send our way. So pray for discernment, clarity, and unity as we forge ahead!
As you might recall, we were scheduled to host a Who’s Your One Rally here at Shades on Sunday, January 24th, along with additional evangelism training the next day. Given the increase of COVID cases in our area right now, we’ve decided it’s best to reschedule that event for the fall when people feel more comfortable traveling and attending. When we get all the details nailed down, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, we will keep moving to find ways to live with purpose and connect with others and have a gospel intentionality in our interactions and conversations.
Folks, as we saw over and over again in 2020, God is present in everything—and His plans will not be thwarted. I hope each of you has a great week, seeing the Lord at work. I’m grateful for you and I look forward to seeing you Sunday—either in person or online.