Over thirty years ago, my church was planted by three other local churches. Back then, several faithful men and women saw a need to have a church on the corner where we now meet. They made sacrifices and committed to bring our church into existence. Church planting has always been part of our story.
Our church has matured and adjusted to meet the needs of our growing community. But our history has not been without difficulty. During the first three decades, the church went through several pastoral transitions, built several buildings, and saw people come and go. When I was called to serve as lead pastor in 2015, the church faced a $1.5 million debt and hadn’t fully exited the shadow of the 2007–2008 financial crisis. Even more, the membership and giving numbers had declined for over a decade. When I preached in view of a call, I made it clear to the church that I wasn’t “coming to fix everything but to point them to the One who could. I was coming to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, to lead and shepherd them as I believe the Bible exhorts pastors to do.”
When I arrived, the church
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