Dear Christ Church,
There’s a quote that describes the local church that has become a bedrock conviction for me. New Testament Scholar Richard Hays writes:
“To be “in Christ” is to be in the fellowship of the church. The community’s calling is not just to perform a mission or to obey certain norms; rather, the community is finally called into a relationship of intimate mutuality with one another in Christ.”
This vision of the church – a community of intimate mutuality in Christ – might be most clearly realized in our small groups. Members come from different backgrounds, at different life stages, and with various challenges they’re facing into a community of joy and affection, challenge and embrace. These groups live out with sharp clarity the community ideal: No One Stands Alone.
Which leads me to this first announcement. Christ Church is hiring a Small Group Pastor.
You might remember several weeks ago that Claire Ratliff announced she will be transitioning roles from Small Group Pastor to Care Pastor. Our next Small Groups Pastor will enter an expanded, full-time role with additional time devoted to helping newcomers enter Christ Church and offering and coordinating care for our church.
Please join me in praying for a new Small Groups Pastor who can shepherd this “No One Stands Alone” community. Candidates can apply on our website.
Secondly, I’m excited to welcome Julie Chewning as Christ Church’s new Communications Manager!
Julie and her family (Chris, Paxton, and Sylvie) began attending Christ Church earlier this year. She has a rich background of experience for this role and I’m excited for her to join our staff.
I asked Julie what she might share about herself with our church community and she wrote:
“I look forward to using my background and passion to serve
this community that has so richly blessed us this year. In my spare time, I love to find myself buried in a good book and tend our backyard garden where we grow plenty of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Also, you can often find us taking family swims at nearby community pools or swimming holes.”
Welcome, Julie, to our Christ Church staff!
Peace,
Matt+
P.S. Christ Church is also hiring Children’s Ministry Caregivers (must be at least 18 years old) to support our nursery on Sunday mornings and an Accounting Assistant to help with weekly financial reporting. You can view and share these staff-support positions on our website.