Pastor Beth’s Final Pastor Pen
Dear Beloved People of New Journey,
As I prepare to say goodbye, my heart is full of deep gratitude and tender joy. Serving as your pastor has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.
From the very beginning, you welcomed me and my family with open arms. I will never forget the anonymous gift that led to the installation of a diaper changing station when Oliver was a newborn and I was sleep deprived. I will never forget the delightful puppet shows Amelia was invited to share or how you clapped for her on Christmas Eve when she sang “Away in a Manger.” I will never forget your words of encouragment and grace when the strains of ministry were evident in my body and spirit.
I believe that God brought us together that we may learn from one another, be shaped by love, and strengthened in our faith.
In these years together, we’ve grown in Christ, laughed and cried together, and shown up for one another through every season. We’ve worshipped in joy and sorrow, virtually and in masks. We’ve marked sacred milestones—baptisms, first communion, funerals, New Journey’s 10 year anniversary—and trusted God’s presence through it all. You have supported one another in illness and loss, and celebrated with one another in wonder and delight. You have embodied what it means to be the church. I am grateful to God to witness such fellowship!
It has been my deepest joy to accompany you on your journey of faith—to ask hard questions, wrestle with Scripture, serve our neighbors, and discover together what it means to follow Jesus in our time. You have shown courage, compassion, and a bold love for this community and the wider world from packing meals to sewing hundreds of quilts to settling apartments for Aghan evacuees and putting your faith into action through faithful advocacy. I am grateful to God to witness such faith!
Now, as I follow God’s call to a new chapter, I carry you with me—with gratitude, love, and lasting affection. This transition is bittersweet. I will miss you deeply, and I am also filled with hope for what lies ahead—for you and for me. I trust that God, who has brought us this far, will continue to lead you with grace.
As Paul wrote to the Philippians, I now say to you: “I thank my God every time I remember you… because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
Thank you for the honor of being your pastor. Thank you for every moment of prayer, conversation, laughter, and care. I leave with a heart full of love and lasting joy.
With deep gratitude and love for you,
Pastor Beth
