We offer our congratulations and blessings to Pastor
Justin and Greetings in Christ, On October 15, I was offered, and accepted, a call to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Woodbridge, Va. This decision came as a result of prayerful conversation with God and my family. Because I am so happy here, I knew it would take a very special offer to lure me away to an-other call. The opportunity to be a Senior Pastor in a church right in the middle of a population boom has proven to be too enticing to turn away. So we have upon us a wonderful opportunity. While this news is still fresh to you, Pastor Dave and I have been in conversation since May. Over the past few months, we have been working to position the church for a very smooth transition. I’m very impressed to see that there is a developing plan which will make this a seamless turnover. While I am certainly sad to be leaving you, I am very excited when I see the possibilities for your future. I believe this is a fine opportunity to incorporate the gifts of some new servants into Good Shepherd’s ministry. Pastor Dave and I will be working hard to prepare for this transition until my term has expired at the end of this calendar year. Until that time, I look forward to spending these last two months celebrating the good work we’ve done together over the last four years, and excitedly anticipate the future ministry of Good Shepherd. God’s blessings, Pastor Justin A Message from Pastor Dave about Pastor Justin “OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS” October 18, 2006 You have certainly heard that phrase before. That phrase rings true for my good friend and partner in ministry, Pastor Justin. This past Sunday, Justin was offered the opportunity to become the Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Woodbridge, VA, an offer that he accepted with joy and enthusiasm. In talking with Justin throughout his process, we spoke of how only a dynamic congregation and a dynamic opportunity would find him moving from Good Shepherd, Gaithersburg. Through the call process, as I talked with Justin, I could see his growing enthusiasm about the church in Woodbridge and its potential. I could see his excitement about becoming lead pastor of a church and I could see him preparing for “the next steps in his ministry.” I have no doubt that he will be an extreme blessing to his new congregation and that they will experience growth, vitality and great joy. We have been blessed by his ministry yet, we also know that the experiences he has had in our church have “blessed him” and will serve him well in the future. I can speak from similar experience and know what Justin is feeling; having gone through it myself. At 4 ½ years into my ministry (at the end of 2000), I was approached by Good Shepherd, Gaithersburg with a wonderful opportunity to become Senior Pastor. I was anxious to come to Good Shepherd, yet faced the emotions of saying good bye to a church I had really enjoyed serving. The experiences at my church in Camp Hill, PA proved invaluable to me and will forever remain with me. Because of Justin’s extreme openness with me throughout, I have been able to work ahead of the curve and start planning for the time after his ministry in Gaithersburg concludes at the end of 2006. We will speak more of that at a later point. My big hope is that we will enjoy Justin while he is still with us. Keep him in your prayers as he and Jenn prepare for their wedding next weekend (October 28). Please mark on your calendars the morning of Sunday, December 24. We will have two services that morning at 9:00 and 11:15 am with a special program inbetween to celebrate Justin’s ministry. More details will be announced later. Justin’s last official day will be Christmas Day, December 25. We wish him all God’s blessings. As Justin would certainly agree, Good Shepherd Gaithersburg will continue to plow forward and continue to be a congregation dedicated to Christ’s mission. Consider what happened at Church Council a week ago. Early in the agenda, the council heard of Justin’s upcoming opportunity and had the time to celebrate with him as well as talk about the timetable for the remainder of the year. We all wished him well. Then, we:
Congratulations Justin. Thank you for your friendship and collegiality and your ministry. Thanks also to all the people of Good Shepherd. As change occurs, we will continue to grow in ministry. We will continue to share the Gospel in Gaithersburg and beyond- helping equip people for Frontline daily ministry.
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Last Updated: 02/06/07 12:19 PM |
his bride, Jenn, as they embark upon the journey of life together. Here is a
photo of them from the blessing reception that took place on Saturday, November
11, 2006.