Retiring

Our church secretary,Julie, is retiring and taking some time to travel. As I reflect on our working relationship, I find myself grieving the loss of her presence in the office. I am so grateful for the time we have worked together to meet the needs of this congregation. Working as a church secretary is not for the faint of heart, it takes a perfect blend of compassion and skills to fulfill the multiple tasks that are required to succeed in this position. Julie gave her heart to the work, carefully attending to the various concerns of people who called or emailed or walked in our door. So often her caring attention to the sometimes overlooked details, made each event each worship service a better experience.
She put up with my quirks and helped me be a better pastor, and a better person, because of her loving attention to the needs of others. Her ministry made coming into the office a real joy, and allowed me to spend more time in the community and attending to the needs of others. I will miss her smile, her gentle spirit and her insights.
Fortunately, Julie remains with us as a member of the church, and so I will continue to see her and be able to share in ministry with her.
Thank you Julie for your careful attention to the work of the church, for enduring through all the demands made of you, I will miss working with you, the preschool will miss working with you, the church will miss your work, yet we all look forward to seeing you, walking with you as members of the same family in Christ!