It is just shy of 8pm, Cori and I have just put the boys to bed, and I am writing to you from my home. While cold and windy outside this evening, it is warm and cozy inside. If I wasn’t paranoid that I might burn my house down by way of a stray ember, I would have built a fire, put a Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hit on, and written this with a quill pen. Instead I will open up a Word document and by the light of my computer screen, burn my retinas, and send you some love and encouragement.

There are moments in time when it dawns on a pastor, just how blessed he is to be serving the Lord along side of like-hearted, like-minded disciples. In recent days, I have been spending a good deal of time in worship, in meetings, and just walking the halls and observing who it is God has assembled here at Mountview.

A few days later, I arrived at the church for an early morning meeting with someone. I purposefully left the door to my office open and while I was waiting for them, the first 2 people to walk by… Matt Little and Jenny Hoffman. Two people, whose children are in our preschool and began attending Mountview with their families within the last year. What a blessing!

On Sunday afternoon following worship, 25 adults packed themselves into our library to hear and learn more about the possibility of traveling to New Orleans the week following Easter to serve the least of these devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I tried to peek in the door but there were two people standing in front of it on the inside of the room because there were no more places to sit. This service experience is being led by our volunteer staff of Justin Gardner, Matt Miller, and Lance Scotney who agreed to help lead this almost immediately after I initially asked them. Just awesome!

Daily I am watching you, church, deny self, pick up your cross, and follow Him. I see you greeting new guests, inviting them to your D-group, seeking baptism, encouraging one another, teaching and studying God’s Word, caring for the lost and the least, inviting your friends and family to church, helping the hurt and broken-hearted, visiting the sick, putting others first, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, loving little ones, serving out of your giftedness, honoring God in worship, seeking Him in prayer, being patient to His timing, submitting to His will, and turning over the broken and secret places of your lives to Him so that He will take something ugly and make it beautiful just like He promised.

Thank you for the incredible joy of being your pastor.

It really is the honor or a lifetime.

In His Love,

Kevin