We don’t always get to choose our “goodbyes.” For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to try to make them count.
As I prepare for the final two weeks of ministry with St. Thomas Reformed Church, I’m trying to be aware of how I’m showing up in relationships. This place and these people have been such a blessing. Sure, there were challenges, but that’s life.
I am hoping to prepare the congregation for my departure. There are meetings to hold, documents to pass along, and sermons to preach. Most of all, I want the congregation of STRC to know how dearly loved they are. I will miss them. I hope they remember what a difference they’ve made in my life as I have served them as a transitional minister.
I didn’t know what I would find when I flew into St. Thomas on June 18, 2025, just a little over 9 months ago.
I’ve discovered a church family that has helped me recover a part of myself — the pastor part of myself. I’ve reconciled some contradictions in my vocational identity. I can now embrace that I am a pastor and a non-profit leader. The two are not in conflict, though there may be some tensions at times.
My journey back to Michigan on April 8 will be heavy with emotion. Preparing to leave is a significant change that I want to grieve well. Thankfully, I have a great support system. I’m especially grateful to my wife, Andrea, my family, and my great friends and coworkers in MI who have supported me this whole time. As hard as it is to leave St. Thomas, I know I’m going back to a lot of great people in Michigan.
Thank you, St. Thomas Reformed Church. I look forward to our next couple of weeks together. May God bless us in our “goodbyes” and “see you laters.”
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