Today marks the last day of my internship at Emmanuel Church of Greenwood, Movement Student Ministries and the last day of my college career at Cincinnati Christian University. Upon the completion of my internship this friday I will officially be graduating from college with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry. It has been an exciting 3.5 years of college, but that is not what I am here to write about. It is an end of an era with Greenwood, IN. I have spent the last nine months of my life working at my beautiful fiancé's home church working with the Student Ministries team. I had the honor and privilege of working with a youth pastor named Shane Combs who has taught me how to be a man of God that truly cares for every person he sees including strangers, his family, and especially his wife. He has been a perfect example for me as a man and I am so excited to be partnering in ministry with him in the future.
Speaking of the future, last weekend I had received some amazing news. As many of you know it has been a long journey of applying for jobs, searching interviewing, and praying. In October I had the opportunity to interview with Benji Sayre of Groesbeck United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, OH. This job I found on the work database of CCU's website under the title of Community Youth Coordinator. Benji explained this job as a split between a co-youth pastor and a director of their after school program called CHAOS which caters to intercity high school and jr. high students in the Colerain area. After working with Bloc Ministries in the West Price Hill area for the past two years, this job really enticed me. At the end of the interview they gave me an opportunity to interview for a second time with the church search team. Although this interview was a little later than I would have liked it to be, it took place December 3rd at 10am. I was interviewed in three separate rooms by three separates groups of people. Although I was not used to this format, I felt that I thrived in it. Jenny and I then took some time to head to our favorite coffee shop in Cincinnati (Corner Bloc Coffee Shop). This is when I got the call I had been waiting for for the past six months. Benji gave me a call and let me know they are offering me the position as the Community Youth Coordinator for Groesbeck United Methodist Church Student Ministries. This was the answer to our prayers and Jennifer and I had been waiting for months for this to happen. It became official on Tuesday morning when I accepted the offer to work with the church.
It is a new beginning that will lead my future wife Jennifer and I to a new home in Cincinnati and on January 2nd I begin the journey of ministry that I have been praying for since my call to ministry when I was sixteen years old. We could not be more excited for the fact that God is leading us and we are merely following. It if were me I would have loved to have gotten the first job that I applied for in June, but little did I know since the opportunity I had a Bloc in 2009, God had been grooming me for this type of ministry.
But with new beginnings comes goodbyes. I would love to take this time to mention those people that truly ministered to me in the past eight months. I have spent countless hours talking with Shane Combs and Jason Beck, two men that I would trust my life with, Thank You. I have spent hours drinking coffee with Adam Ferrel, a high school student I am truly excited to see God minister through him. He motivates me every day to become more and more like Christ, Thank You. Eating lunches with Dallas Havens, talking about college and working through issues that completely can cripple us, Thank You. Every Tuesday morning at 6am, spending an hour studying scripture with my McTuesday boys. Working with my student small group leaders Makenzie Essig and Miranda Gladish, Thank You. Lastly, flying planes, working through family issues, and praying together with Jennifer & I's small group leaders, Ralph and Lucy Hill, Thank You. All of these people have had such an amazing influence on my life and I am so ready to continue in ministry with them over the next couple of years. But it truly saddens me to leave this family here in Greenwood and move to our new home.
But what I do understand is that God is going to provide people for this new season of life that will teach us and provide us with the opportunity for growth. This season of life here in Greenwood, IN God has been preparing us the next opportunity. This next opportunity is leading Jennifer and I to Groesbeck United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, OH and we could not be more honored to partner with God in this. We are praising God and saying thank you everyday and cannot wait for what is to come. Here we Go...
till another Day,
normallyINDIE
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