Pastoral note, from Garrett

Yesterday, we had a beautiful sendoff for Jana and Dave. It’s been five years since Jana came to Woodland as our part-time student minister, and now we bless her as she moves into this next chapter of her vocational journey with Second Baptist Liberty, MO. 

The student committee, led by D’Lynn McCartney, organized a fantastic reception. Ashley and Thomas Allen helped make the blessing at the end of worship special. Thomas and the students also performed a skit in Sunday School to review highlights from Jana’s tenure. 

Some of you might be asking, ‘What’s next?’ Additionally, Lisa Shinkins is transitioning to become our full-time administrative coordinator. For the past few years, she has split her time between her administrative coordinator role and ministering to children. She will be taking on the administrative tasks that Jana has filled for the last 2 years. We think this will simplify and streamline things. If you have questions about something related to the church office, Lisa is your go-to. Except not this week because she’s on vacation! 

We’re seeking a Family Minister to work with children and youth. Yes, that’s a lot of ground to cover. It may take some time to find this person, so we are planning to use interim positions to cover these vital ministries in the meantime. 

August 10 is “Startup Sunday.” The kids are promoted to the next class, and the adults make jokes about being promoted to the next class. We will do a blessing of the backpacks in both services. There will also be a ministries fair in the atrium—this is a chance to get to know many of the church's ministries. 

The Church retreat is right around the corner. Carrie Graham will be our speaker this year. Carrie is the founder and pastor of The Church Lab in Austin. The Church Lab is a hub for innovative ministry experiments. Essentially, they try to connect people who have left organized religion with opportunities for spiritual engagement through dialogue and practice. Part of Carrie’s expertise is bringing diverse people together for constructive dialogue. We are asking her to help us consider how we can be peacemakers in a world that needs active (not passive) peace now. 

The retreat is September 26-28. Save your spot now. It’s at T Bar M camp again in New Braunfels. It’s going to be an excellent weekend.  

Grace and peace, 

Garrett Vickrey