Pastor to Missionary~Evangelist . . . Leap Year Update #4

Friends,
The transition from pastoral ministry to the work of an evangelist is ongoing! I am blessed to have so many people who keep encouraging me along the way!

Name Chosen . . .

I have decided on the name of this new ministry: Life in His Name. You’ll recognize the phrase from John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John, after bragging about how he was faster than Peter, gives us the motive behind his letter and this is it! It is the appeal of an evangelist. This is what we long for everyone on the planet to experience . . . life in Jesus name! The name takes a bit of explaining to those not familiar with Scripture, which creates a beautiful opportunity to share Christ! I have been playing with some logo ideas, the latest you can see above to the right.

Great News!

• The Portsmouth District Board of Missions voted yesterday to pay for our health insurance for 1 year! Wow . . . big answer to prayer!
• The Website is almost ready to launch! A gigantic thank you to Cathy Stevens for setting up the website! She shared with me that: “Old secretaries never really go away :) We bother you FOREVER.” She is wonderful! Next email I will share the web link

Waiting and Setting Up Appointments with Churches for Partnership & Support . . .

• We are hoping to hear this week if I will be the next chaplain at Virginia Wesleyan College. The link to the Chaplain’s office is: http://www.vwc.edu/student_life/chaplain/index.php My interview last week went well, I especially enjoyed interacting with two different groups of student leaders on campus.
• I have 3 appointments on the calendar with churches who are considering supporting this new ministry and have started calling some individuals as well.

Prayer requests . . .

• Would you lift up our dear friends Bob and Jill Riggles? They are both serving at Christ Church in Fairfax, VA. Pastor Bob is also transitioning out of pastoral ministry after 11 or so years like me. Jill is the director of Christ Church Kids. We’re praying for God to clearly show the next step for them.
• Eileen and I are grateful for your prayers for us and our 3 children: Josiah, Evie and Luke. We are hoping to stay in the same house (that’s Plan A and there is a Plan B). It’s a big transition.

In Jesus’ unfailing love,

Greg West, Pastor
http://www.graceharborva.org/

Leap Year #3 - Moving Forward!

Friends,

Good news, I have been approved as an evangelist! I do need to meet again with the ‘extension ministry’ committee in October for final approval on the details of how this new ministry will operate including the 501 (c)(3), the Board of Directors and the Budget. I am able to move forward with the new ministry though on July 1.

I have a 2nd interview at Virginia Wesleyan College about the part-time chaplaincy position this Thursday. I ask for your prayers for wisdom and the ability to articulate myself.
I believe God has gifted me in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. These are the parts of pastoral ministry that always ‘charged my batteries’. I feel privileged that I will be able to focus on these two areas of ministry. I have been involved in small group discipleship and evangelism for almost 20 years. A healthy small group is one of the greatest means of evangelism. It is the redemptive community that offers Christ in word and deed to the seeker. This is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.

In the next month I will be working with Pastor Bob Weeks and Pete Kovalcik and others establish financial and prayer support for the ministry. There is no salary for this role. The District Board of Missions is considering covering our health care for 1 year. We are seeking people and churches to partner with us in any and every way! There are some churches and individuals that have already expressed a desire to support me in the role of missionary-evangelist.

I am super grateful for your prayers and encouragement!


May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Greg West, Pastor