Just Getting Started

When I was growing up, my family would often take long road trips for our vacations. On several occasions, we drove from Indiana down to Florida to visit family. On one particularly long trip, we headed out west, driving through the Badlands of North Dakota and the Rocky Mountains before finally stopping in Washington State.

I can still remember the feeling right at the beginning of a long journey: the van packed with snacks and supplies, everything cleaned up and sorted, my sisters and I loaded with organized backpacks full of our favorite toys and games, and a long stretch of highway wide open in front of us.

In some ways, I feel like I’m back in that minivan getting ready for a new journey. I’ve spent time packing and unpacking, getting everything organized and ready to go, and there is a shared sense of excitement in the air. We can all tell that we are on the edge of a brand-new adventure. We have a plan and a map of the road ahead, but the best parts of these trips are often the moments no one saw coming!

I want to say thank you for the amazing ways you have welcomed my family and me into this community. Thank you for the fun and excitement with our ministry partners at Wednesday Night Live this past month, for a wonderful installation service and luncheon, for flourishing outreach ministries, for family stories shared, and for names repeated again and again! What a beautiful way to get started and roll down this road together.

P.S. One of the best parts of any road trip is figuring out where to stop for food! If you have a favorite spot for lunch or coffee, I would love to join you and hear a bit

Blessings,

Pastor Ben