This letter is full of important updates, so buckle up!
If you have been around our church for a while now, you have heard us talk about Family Ministries and Pastor Lindsay’s changing role on the staff. She has been in flux with her new role as Pastor of Formation and her previous role as Pastor of Families. Her new role gives her a broader leadership presence throughout the church community and focuses on the spiritual practices and programs that support our ongoing moral formation. This involves Sunday School, Small Groups, leadership training, youth, women's ministry, occasional retreats and one-off learning events, as well as more worship leadership and preaching. Behind the scenes we have also been reconfiguring the Family Ministries to better align with our growing church and staffing.
Mary Winchell has been Lindsay’s right-hand helper as the Children's Pastor since 2018, working specifically with our kids from birth through fifth grade. In reorganizing the staffing, the Family Ministry plan has been to combine the roles into one new position. Mary has graciously extended her tenure while we looked at candidates for the new pastoral position to oversee children and families. More than once Mary has agreed to bridge the gap a little longer than originally planned, especially since The Fire. We want to honor the planned shifts in Family Ministry and give the church a chance to celebrate the time Mary has been part of our ministry team. In collaboration with Mary, we have landed on February 16, 2025, as her last Sunday on the staff, ending with a time of gratitude and storytelling after worship. We invite anyone touched by Mary’s ministry, especially our families and volunteers, to join us in the park after worship for food and fun to honor her service. You know Mary, and she is already praying about how to serve as a volunteer after her staff role ends. Her tenure has been marked by a reliable love for our kids and families, and that love is not conditioned by formal staff positions.
In preparation for these changes, there are some other updates to our staffing planned in the interim. Warren Tang and Arielle Pittluck have joined forces with Pastor Lindsay as a team to help prepare Family Ministries for the future. Warren brings the logistical admin skills, and Arielle brings deep knowledge in best practices, processes, and theological values that Lindsay has built so things translate into the future. We are also actively searching for a full-time staff member to round out the team. More on that as we have news to share.
We are grateful for the level of care and pastoral presence our families have experienced through our Family Ministries, including the love and flexibility that carried them through COVID and the growth in the years following. We have been blessed with new families who resonate with our values, and Mary has helped to cultivate a sense of belonging and welcome for all. That foundation is solid, and we are so thankful for all the groundwork that has been laid for this next season. Please join us in thanking Mary for all her hard work, love, and care.
Less without you,
Pastor John Jay Alvaro