An announcement was made recently that I would be leaving my college-ministry position and taking on a new role with Southwest.  That’s hard to explain in a minute or two of announcements, and I don’t think we’ve even quite figured out what to call this new role exactly.  It’s something like “Edumissionment Minister.”  Hmmm.  Let me try to explain.

I’ll be mainly involved in three areas:

• Adult Bible Classes
• Mission Works
• Involvement of (New) Members

Let me give a little explanation of each of these.

Adult Bible Classes – I’ll be working together with the elders and our other ministers to put together a program of classes that we hope will move us toward a more well-rounded understanding of God’s word while also meeting the various needs and interests of our various age groups at Southwest.  This area will also include conducting some teacher-training classes and helping make materials available to teachers, so the will have a leg up in their preparations for the classes they lead.  I will also be teaching weekly Bible classes myself.

Mission Works – I will be working to stay in touch with all our mission efforts and keep our congregation informed about these works.  This will be especially true with out efforts in Haiti as we look at ways to be more effective there.  We also hope to get various members involved in our mission efforts by going on trips to assist these works and/or doing whatever we can from here to encourage and aid those working in the field.

Involvement – It’s easy for all of us to just be spectators and not get involved with the work of the church if not asked.  My goal is to be the guy who asks what your interests and talents are and match those up with the needs we have around Southwest and our efforts to reach out to our community.  This will be especially aimed at new members, but I hope to help all of us be involved and active in God’s work whenever possible.

Why? – I don’t think the goal in all of this is just to have another minister.  What I hope to accomplish is to help us grow as individuals, be more engaged (where needed) as members of Southwest and be more accessible and real to our friends and community.  I hope that in all we do we’re not just looking to take care of ourselves but also seeking ways we can be the Gospel of Christ to those near and far who need to hear the hope that God offers to all His children.

So, thank you to all of you who have expressed your love and confidence in the work I do with Southwest.  I’m looking forward to many more years of service as we continue to grow together more fully into the image of Christ.  You are a wonderful group of people to call family!

– David