The Journey has Begun

June 5, 2025

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV)

Friends, we are off and running!

Our journey together in mission and ministry has begun, and I am so grateful to be on this journey with you. It has been a great first month, and my family and I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter welcome.

Over this month, as I have started getting to know all of you, I’ve been asking a lot of questions. Many of you will have heard them by now, but in case you haven’t, they tend to center on this: What is your heart for ministry? What gifts and talents has the Lord given you to use for His Kingdom? Where do you feel the Lord leading you to serve?

Many of us are familiar with this quote from the late Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Serving God through serving others is the call on all our lives, of course, but there are certain ways of serving which bring us great joy and gladness—which light us up and give us some extra pep in our step. And this is why I keep asking these questions. My heart’s desire is to see all of us serving and thriving in this way.

In my first few weeks here, I have seen a people who desire to worship the Lord with their whole hearts; who want to grow in love and faithfulness; and who seek to serve the Lord faithfully. And so, like Paul to the church in Philippi, I thank my God every time I remember you. And also like Paul, I want to remind each of us that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion! So let’s continue to glorify God, grow in love and faithfulness, and go in mission!

Grace and peace,
Brandon