Changes in our ESM

Seasons of Change

Fall is a season of change. The leaves turn yellow and the air becomes chillier. Change is a part of life, yet change always brings about an unsettling feeling. Change can evoke anxiety, uncertainty and fear. But change is always how God has worked. Our Scriptures consist of countless stories of God working through change. The story of faith began when God called Abraham to leave everything and go to the place where God would show him. That is change.

Change in St. Timothy

Our community of St. Timothy is undergoing changes too. These changes can be unsettling. But we thought that the best way to address change is to first provide clear communication. And so I hope this post provides some more clarity.

First of all, here is one thing that is not changing right now: Rev. Kim will continue to be the primary preacher for Sunday worship. We have been so blessed by God’s Word spoken through him, and that will not change. I will on occasion preach to give Rev. Kim a break and on an as-needed basis.

So what is my (Rev. Simon’s) role then? I will focus primarily on the areas of pastoral care, congregational life and outreach. My main task is to build pastoral relations with members of the congregation and have a pulse on what is going on in people’s lives. I will focus on building connections and community among our members, through Bible studies, small groups and cultivating a communal culture where we care for one another. The church’s role is to also share God’s love with others. We have something precious in our community, and many people can be blessed by our message and community. I will seek ways to extend our loving hand to others.

Change in the Children’s Ministry

The next big change is the departure of Pastor Sunny. She has faithfully served our church for many years, and God has now called her to serve elsewhere. She will be ordained as a minister at our church on October 27, which is her last day with us. Beginning in November, she will be the minister of Whitewood Presbyterian Church in Saskatchewan. We thank her for her time with us, and she will be dearly missed. We pray for her as she begins a new journey there.

That means changes for our children’s ministry. Pastor James has accepted the call to lead the children’s ministry. This encompasses everything from the toddlers to the end of elementary. His primary focus on Sundays will be leading the Kids Church elementary program. He will work with the teachers to cultivate faith in our children. Teacher Sunny Shin is still teaching the preschool children. We are actively working at establishing a toddlers program in the nursery room on Sundays.

We are bolstering our efforts with the young children of our community. Our vision is to make our children’s ministry one of the crown jewels of our church, and we are putting intentional prayer, thought and action into this. We will need the engagement and support of the whole community to make this happen.

Pastor Dave has made the transition into leading all of the Hi-C. They have begun the school year in earnest.

Town Hall for Deeper Dive and Questions

You may have questions about all of these changes. We will hold a town hall meeting on Sunday, October 27 at 12:30pm, after the joint anniversary service that day. All parents and interested members are strongly encouraged to come, where you can ask questions, hear more about our vision and proposed plans going forward, and see how you can be a part of our church’s ministry.

We are indeed entering another phase in the life and ministry of St. Timothy ESM, and we prayerfully hope you are a part of its development. Please make sure to join our town hall on October 27!

Questions?

Do you have any questions or thoughts? We would love to hear them, especially in advance of the town hall meeting. Please respond to this post with your questions or thoughts below!