Back From Sabbatical and Staff Update
Friends, it’s good to be back!
Sunday was a refreshing time of seeing and connecting with all of you. Angela and I are so grateful for not only the time to take a sabbatical, but also for the genuine way we were received by our church. We love our church! It’s good to be back!
Our time away allowed us to reconnect as a family and create memories that we will keep with us for years. We were able to do some fun projects at home, go to church together, laugh, pray, and just be together. The highlight of our time was the cross-country trip we took as a family. We drove 8,197 miles through 20 states over the course of 35 days. We visited family, went to national parks (Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, Badlands, etc), visited the White House, the Capital and monuments, the Smithsonians, the Holocaust Museum, The Ark, the Bible Museum, the Creation Museum, took Danielle to Asbury College, went to a rodeo, ate seafood on the beach in North Carolina, and so many other things. On top of everything, we also got to experience the presence and provision of a loving God.
Thank you for making all of that possible.
It has been a blessing to hear all the reports of how our people stepped up in our absence and used your gifts to serve God and His church. This is how church is supposed to be… the priesthood of believers being used by God to serve.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Thank you for your faithfulness.
I’m also writing you today to share some news with you. Monday was my first day in the office and it began with a meeting with Cami Blue, my administrative assistant, where she handed me a letter of resignation. She shared how this has been something she has been wrestling with for a while now. She loves working at the church but has sensed the Lord releasing her for something else. Cami has been an incredible gift to our church and to me personally. I truly am sad to see her leave, but I’m excited for what God has next for her. September 21st will be her last day in the office.
In addition to that news, I received a call from Ben Robbins a little over a week ago. He shared with me that he and Katie had successfully sold their home and were working to determine next steps for their family. He too, felt a sense of release from God and gave me his letter of resignation. Ben shared how much this past year has meant to him and that he has loved getting to know all of you. Working with Ben has been a joy for me and one of the things I have been really excited about in coming back was to see how God was going to lead us. I’m sad to see the Robbins leave, but just as it is with Cami, I’m excited to see what God does in and through Ben during this next season.
I had planned to spend most of Monday working on the first message in our new series on strategy. Instead, I spent time with our staff and board processing what is unfolding. The good news is that through all of this, God is still in control! He is seated on the throne, watching, leading, providing, refining, and walking with us. It would be easy to see this from the position of Chicken Little and believe “the sky is falling.” Instead, I would encourage all of us to see this from the perspective of Beaver from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when speaking about Aslan (the one who represents God) when he said, “They say Aslan is on the move - perhaps has already landed.”
God is on the move at Warm Beach Church!
We don’t have to fear tomorrow, or the change that is coming, or the unknown of what’s next, because God is on the move…and perhaps has already landed! Our job is to trust, listen, and follow Him as He leads. We may not know what tomorrow holds for us, but God does. All of this is a reminder of how important it is for us to put our absolute faith and trust in God and no one else.
Where do we go from here? I think that will be the question on the minds of most. The first step for us is to make sure we love Cami and Ben well as they transition. This is an opportunity for us to practice what it means to be kingdom-minded. Cami and Ben belong to Jesus and we get to be a part of their story. Let’s pray and encourage them as they finish strong and get ready for what this next season.
The next step is for us to look to God. Our board and staff will be entering into a time of intentional prayer and waiting on the Lord to lead us. We want to know His plans and follow His ways as we enter into this next season at WBC. In addition to this, our remaining staff – Pastor Jake, Pastor Matt, and myself – will carry some of the responsibilities Cami and Ben oversaw. But we can’t do it alone. We will need you, the priesthood of believers, to help fulfill the ministry and calling of the church. We know that God has a plan for you and for our church. Would you consider joining us in this journey?
Here is how you can help:
Pray - Pray for God’s wisdom and provision. Pray that God will bring the right people to our staff to help us in this next season. Pray for expanded faith as we move to where God leads. Pray for Cami as she begins this next season in a new job. Pray for Ben and Kaiti as they transition to a new home and new job. Pray for our people to be protected from any attacks from the enemy.
Step Up - Use your gifts to serve God’s church. We will have many gaps without Ben and Cami, but God has equipped our people to serve. Find ways to serve on Sunday mornings, even if it something you haven’t done before. Find ways to serve throughout the week in the office or in the various ministry opportunities that exist. Who knows…you might find a new passion. Thank you to all of you who already serve! Let me know if you want to help and we can talk about the gaps we will have. (morgan@wbfmc.org)
Encourage Others - We have many gifted people. Sometimes, all a person needs is to be encouraged to step up and serve. This is a great opportunity for more of our people to find the joy of serving the kingdom.
Point People to Jesus - Let’s not allow satan to gain any ground here. Let’s encourage our people to fix their eyes on Jesus and trust in His plans. Let’s honor Cami and Ben by leaving no room for gossip or criticism. Let’s remind people that God will use this for His glory and to continue the refining process of His people.
Thank you for walking through all of this with us. It’s a blessing to serve God’s church with all of you. God is on the move!
Morgan