to my new church

Friends,

It’s June 3. I’ll be with you in just under a month. How are you feeling about that? You’ve said goodbye to Pastor Gloria. I just spent two days with her and I’m very thankful for her ministry among you. She’s done incredible work that I’m honored to continue.

Now come several weeks of waiting and wondering what’s next. If you’re anything like me, you’d prefer to skip this part. We often don’t like waiting. It’s uncomfortable. But as you’ve likely learned in life, God shapes us in the wait.

My 3.5 yr old daughter asks me every couple days when we’re going to Washington. She’s quite excited to pack her bag and hop on the plane for her new adventure. My 9 month old is mostly focused on learning to stand and grabbing any toy in sight. I know he’ll love the home you’ve prepared for us. My husband is finishing up 5 years at his IT job and packing up our home. He’ll drive the UHaul and our car down with his parents and a friend. I’ll be flying down to visit my parents in Bend, Oregon for a week before making our way to Marysville.

What does the next couple weeks look like for me? Our church is hosting Alaska’s Annual Conference this weekend and then I’ll spend a week at camp with 7-12th graders. I’ll preach my last sermon at St. John on June 14. I’ll say goodbye to people I’ve known for 16 years. It’s a big goodbye. But I want you to know I’ve worked hard on this goodbye. Tried to feel all the big feelings and not push them away. Even when they came on airplanes, during bedtime stories, in worship, in the car or at a restaurant with a friend. These people have loved me well. They’ve taught me how to be a pastor. I hope you’ll be grateful for their work. 🙂 

I want to say goodbye well because I want to be truly ready to say hello to you. I want my heart to be open and ready for all you have to show me. So here’s to the transition. I invite you to pray for my family and I. We will pray for you. Hope to see you in worship in July, my friends! The adventure begins…

Your fellow disciple,
Pastor Jenny