A New Program Year Brings Familiar and New Faces

Dear friends,

As we enter a new program year, there are both familiar and new faces leading us at Pinnacle. The congregation has received correspondence about our staffing over the summer, but I thought to take my column this month and update you all on who’s doing what these days — at least in the pastoral and program areas of our ministry.

So, let’s go in some sort of order!

Me: I’m looking forward to a new year of preaching, care, teaching, learning, and leading. I look forward to working with the Session on plans regarding finances, education (see exciting news in September’s Pinnacle Vistas), and improving our communications. I look forward to more time to get to know you all! I also look forward to leading an effort to advance our educational offerings in all areas, and more.

Rev. Kristin Willett: Kristin looks forward to concentrating more energy on our growing youth program. Alongside this, she’ll provide pastoral oversight and guidance to all of our ministries touching folks from birth to 25 years of age. This will include pastoral supervision of children’s ministries and working cooperatively with the staff on ministry to our families. She’ll lead worship, preach occasionally, teach, and provide pastoral care as she has.

Rev. Sarah Johnson: Sarah comes on board providing pastoral guidance and imagination for our ministries touching folks between 25 and 50 years of age, and so also guiding us as we reconsider our outreach to families and consider how we might strengthen our ministry to young adults and singles. She’ll also coordinate our pastoral care program, give pastoral oversight to our deacons, and provide general pastoral, worship, and educational presence with the other pastors.

Rev. Fran Park: We continue to support and pray for Fran and Sue as Fran continues his chemotherapy. He is with us on an official “quarter-time” basis. As his health allows, he looks forward to leading S.A.G.E., our Wednesday Noon program for seniors, our twice-monthly Thursday morning men’s breakfast, and participating in worship about twice monthly. He’ll also keep in touch with some of you by phone, though he cannot now visit in hospitals or other medical facilities.

Debbie Lisk: Debbie continues in her work as our full-time Director of Children’s Ministries, generating and implementing new ideas, recruiting and training teachers and volunteers, directing activites, praying for and teaching our children.

Brent Hylton, Marilyn Hylton, Kira Regan, Peggy Purkey: From full to part-time roles, this talented team that leads our music program will continue its efforts into the new program year—including adults, youth, and children into the making of music to glorify God.

Shelly Core: Shelly is with us this year as a part-time Pastoral Intern, exploring and adding value to several areas of our ministry. She’ll teach bible, learn about and increasingly provide pastoral care, be involved in worship more often, and work with our staff in examining our ministries all around.

Linda Jenkins: Linda will be with us a couple of days each week as a Parish Nurse. In this role, she’ll help us put a proposal together for a lay care program for PPC. She’ll add value to our pastoral care program, assist the pastors in understanding the medical needs of our members, and be an advocate for spiritual and physical health in our congregation.

Brandon Willett: Brandon will be available during this time on an on-call and very part-time basis for special projects and special assistance, at my request. He’ll continue to work with Kristin in our youth program as he always has. I’m grateful for his presence and abilities.

Alongside this pastoral and program staff, I also encourage you to get to know the good folks who make our ministries possible on the administrative side of things. They are good stewards of our resources and accomplish more than their numbers would suggest! It’s a great team in the office.

We’re blessed, don’t you think? Please pray for this committed group, encourage us, and support our ministries, so we all together might serve Christ’s church in ever more faithful ways in the coming program year.