“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.”

-Acts 20:28

This month marks eleven years I’ve had the honor of serving the church at Green Pond Bible Chapel. As I reflect on these eleven years, I am filled with love for this particular expression of the body of Christ. I am thankful to be an overseer of these precious sheep, purchased by the blood of Jesus. What do I love about GPBC? Since you asked…

I love that the saints at GPBC love God and his Word

One of the main aspects of my role at GPBC is preaching and teaching. On Sundays we’ve gone through Mark, Galatians, Daniel, Acts, Judges, 1 Peter, 1 Kings, 1 Corinthians, Hosea, 2 Kings, Hebrews, John, and now Revelation. You’ve patiently endured as I have grown as a preacher, tolerating bad jokes and the occasional long sermon (not to mentioned all the quotes from my “friends”). Your love for God is seen in how you value his Word, and I have the privilege of experiencing that weekly.

I love that the saints at GPBC minister to children and youth well

It was clear from our first conversations with GPBC that this was a church committed to delivering the gospel to the next generation. Every church knows this is a huge challenge. You understand the importance of investing in children and youth by focusing on discipleship and not merely entertainment. You have sacrificially given of your time to attend/host youth events and serve in Kingdom Kids. I love that our families band together in equipping our kids to walk by faith. I love that I know youth in our church will be well-prepared to follow Jesus in the uncertain days to come by Pastor Josh and his team.

I love that the saints at GPBC sing

Pro-user tip: seats in the front of the sanctuary are the best because you get to hear the entire congregation singing. These past 11 years you have blessed me by your vocal testimony to the goodness of God. As Pastor Jesse curates songs for corporate worship, you have rejoiced together as worshippers of God. Our time singing together is one of the highlights of my week.

I love that the saints at GPBC are passionate to see the gospel shared to the ends of the earth

Our church highly values investing in our missionaries and I love it. I love that we aren’t content to just give financial support. I’ve enjoyed traveling overseas with folks from GPBC in different contexts and serving the Lord with you. Your passion for God’s Kingdom is bearing fruit, and we won’t know how great that harvest has been until the mission is complete.  

I love that the saints serve and give sacrificially 

Over the past eleven years I have been blown away by the level of service our volunteers and deacons provide. Countless hours of effort in tasks small and large reflect your love for Jesus. I have loved work days where young and old labor together to steward our church facilities. I have loved seeing our men serve at the Christmas Brunch each year. I love that I regularly hear of ways you are visiting and caring for those in need.

I love the elders at GPBC

Our elder team has been a blessing since the first day we arrived in New Jersey. I am honored to shepherd the flock of God at GPBC with these dear brothers. I love that we are united even when we have different gifting and perspectives. I love that our elders passionately pursue discipling our church. I love that they genuinely care for the sheep, and give of their time and energy to do so. I value their wisdom and am confident about our future as a church because of our solid leadership.

I love the pastors at GPBC

God has brought a rag-tag group of vocational ministers to our church family. I cherished my time with Pastor Andy and miss him every week. Pastor TJ is a joy to work with and is continuing Andy’s legendary love of hamburgers. TJ keeps us on track in so many ways, and the result is greater effectiveness in all of our ministries. I’ve already mentioned pastors Josh and Jesse and their ministry, but I’m also blessed by their personal ministry to me.

I love that the saints at GPBC care for our family

When we arrived at GPBC we barely had three kids. Jack was four, Kate was two, and Sam was a solid five months. We’ve added Jane to the mix, and all them have kept growing despite our best efforts to slow them down. You have graciously loved our children with us, and have offered wisdom as we have needed it for new phases and challenges. You’ve generously provided a home for us in the parsonage. We’ve never had a need go unmet, and that’s a function of God’s grace expressed in your kindness. Thank you for loving us so well.

I could go on. We all know that no church is perfect, and we’ve faced our challenges along the way. But as I reflect on these years together I am thankful to God for bringing us to GPBC, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do in and through our church in the years to come.