A Note from Josh
Friends,
It has been a full summer, and I have been meaning for a little while now to sit down and give you a proper update. A lot has happened at Christ Our Hope over the last couple of months, we are beginning to look toward the fall, and there are some important developments taking place with Ministry Team Development as well. Before getting into all of that, though, I want to begin simply by saying thank you. One thing this process has made increasingly clear to me is just how dependent ministry is upon other people. I may be the one teaching a lesson, meeting with a student, planning an event, or sitting across the table from someone talking about support, but none of those things happen in isolation. Your prayers, financial support, encouragement, and introductions are a real part of the ministry, and I am very grateful for the way you continue to stand behind this work.
Looking Back on the Summer
The biggest event of our summer was our youth retreat at Topsail Island in July. Our theme this year was “Resist the Current — Temptation,” and much of our teaching centered on Romans 6 and what it means to face temptation in light of our union with Christ. I came home tired—which is probably unavoidable after several days at the beach with a group of teenagers—but I also came home genuinely encouraged. The teaching sessions went well, the small groups were fruitful, and some of the most meaningful moments came in conversations that happened outside the formal schedule. Students were talking with one another and with their leaders about sin, relationships, faith, temptation, and what it actually looks like to follow Christ when obedience is difficult.
That is ultimately what I hoped the retreat would be. Of course, I wanted the students to have fun, and we certainly did, but I never want these retreats to become little more than a church-sponsored vacation. I want our students to spend sustained time in God’s Word, grow in their relationships with one another and with their leaders, and have room to think seriously about their walk with Christ. I saw a lot of that this year, and I am thankful for it. There are certainly things we will improve next time but those are refinements to what was, overall, a very encouraging week.
The retreat also gave me a lot to think about as we head toward the fall. One question I keep returning to is what we are actually trying to produce through youth ministry. It is entirely possible to build a youth program that students enjoy and then discover that, once they graduate, they do not really know how to belong to the church apart from that program. I do not want that for our students. They belong to Christ’s church now, and they need relationships not only with their peers and youth leaders, but with elders, families, and mature Christians throughout the congregation who will still be part of their lives long after youth group is over.
We have begun taking some intentional steps in that direction. This month, our elders along with their wives, will be joining our combined middle and high school Sunday School. My hope is that our students will get to know these people and, just as importantly, that these adults will know our students. That conviction is going to shape a lot of my thinking this fall as we continue working through what the purpose of our youth ministry is and how we help young people become more firmly rooted in the ordinary life of the local church.
Continuing to Prepare for Pastoral Ministry
This summer has also given me opportunities to continue growing outside of youth ministry. Recently I had the opportunity to preach from Romans 4:7: “Blessed are the Forgiven.” Preparing that sermon gave me the opportunity to spend significant time thinking about some of the most important aspects of our faith: our justification before God, what does it mean to be forgiven, and how are we to live in light of those truths.
I am grateful for opportunities like that because they are an important part of my preparation for pastoral ministry. I want to grow in preaching and every opportunity to preach do so gives me another chance to handle the Word publicly, receive feedback, recognize weaknesses more clearly, and continue developing in the work I hope to do for many years to come. At the same time, I am continuing my undergraduate studies and preparing for the next stage of theological education, so this remains a season in which active ministry and preparation for future ministry are happening side by side.
An Important Step in Ministry Team Development
There is also a significant development on the support-raising side of things. One of the biggest challenges throughout Ministry Team Development has simply been time. Right now I am working five days each week at my secular job while also carrying my ministry responsibilities at the church, which means that support raising often has to fit into whatever time is left over. That has been enough to get me this far, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to make the kind of sustained progress that will be necessary to reach full support.
Because of that, I have asked the Session at Christ Our Hope to consider a transition beginning in September. Under the proposal, the compensation I currently receive directly from the church would instead become part of the church’s financial partnership with me through Reliant. That change would allow me to reduce my secular work from five days a week to three, freeing two weekdays for Ministry Team Development and ministry. I believe I am now far enough along in support raising to make that transition responsibly without placing an additional financial burden on my family, while also recognizing that there is still a significant amount of support left to raise before I reach the goal.
If the transition moves forward, September will begin a much more concentrated season of Ministry Team Development, and my goal remains to reach full support by the end of the year. I would really appreciate your prayers as the Session considers the proposal and as those details come together. I would also appreciate prayer for diligence and fruitful conversations as I continue meeting with people and building the ministry team. One practical way you can help during this season is through introductions. If you know someone who might be willing simply to sit down with me and hear about the ministry, I would be grateful for the connection. You do not need to raise support for me or make a pitch on my behalf; a simple introduction can open a door to a conversation I otherwise would never have.
How You Can Pray
As you think about us over the next few weeks, I would especially appreciate prayer for the students at Christ Our Hope. Pray that the things they heard and discussed at retreat would not simply fade as summer ends, but that the Lord would use them to produce lasting growth. Pray also for wisdom as we shape the youth ministry this fall—that we would teach faithfully, disciple students well, develop leaders, create meaningful opportunities to serve, and help our young people become more intentionally rooted in the life of the church.
Please pray as well for Ministry Team Development, particularly for the proposed September transition and for the work still ahead in reaching full support. Finally, I would appreciate prayer for my own preparation for pastoral ministry as I finish my undergraduate work, continue serving at Christ Our Hope, and prepare for the next stage of theological education.
Thank you again for being part of this with me. Support raising can sometimes reduce ministry to percentages and monthly goals, but those numbers represent people—people who believe in the work, pray for it, sacrifice financially for it, and want to see Christ’s church strengthened. That means a great deal to me, and I am grateful for your partnership. I look forward to sharing more with you as we move into the fall.
Grace and peace,
Josh