transitions, part II

5/3/12 For many months, maybe a full year, we had looked for an assistant to the youth minister.  We tried parttime college kids from the Wesley Foundation.  We looked for students from the local seminary. We advertised on various websites.  No bites.  The right person was not found.  Finally, we bumped up the compensation package and looked for a full time person.  We found Diane, one who had just completed  a Master's degree from a west  coast seminary.  She wanted to move back to Austin, where she had gone to the University of Texas.  Hurrah!  We found a gifted, committed youth assistant.

About this time, Tonya, whom we had hired to help with the Point, a new movement involving worship and service, announced that she needed/wanted to move back to South Carolina where her mother lived.  How we find a replacement for such a one who could play the guitar, sing, do website design and maintenance, be good at relationships and organization?  The very day Tonya told us she was going to be moving out, Diane told us that she had a boyfriend who wanted to move to Austin (for obvious reasons).  This young man, Jonathan, had also just graduated from the same west coast seminary as Diane.  He played the guitar, sang, had been doing video production and web communication for a church in California.  Diane asked if we knew of anyone who could use his skills.  We got his resume' that very day.  In short, we hired Jonathan to start work with us on May 15, right as Tonya is leaving.

Now this week, our youth minister, J.D., announced that he will be leaving us so that he can go to seminary full time, instead of half time, so he can finish in 2 years instead of 4. 

At staff meeting, I closed as I often do, by asking them how Christ has shown up in that hour.  Tonya remarked that she had seen Christ at work in the providing of the right persons with the right gifts at the right time.  Christ had shown up in the transitions.

Love,
Lynn