About the Pastor
Reverend Andrew G. Church
Call to Ministry:
Leading worship and teaching are central pieces of my calling. I strive to make my preaching lively, engaging and relevant. I strive to create worship that touches people, moves them, reforms and comforts them. I have gifts for teaching and small group spiritual formation. I feel called to share those gifts.
Theological Perspective:
I believe that "God-talk" makes sense: God's true nature can be communicated. When we "do" theology - whether by what we say or how we act - we are proclaiming the gospel. My perspective is that everything we do reflects who we are. If I claim to follow Christ, my life needs to give some witness to it!
Gifts for Ministry:
I have a passion for leading good worship and I preach well. I am a very good teacher. I am a gifted writer. I connect well with youth and children. I am honest. I have a deep commitment to social justice. I speak my mind. I keep my sense of humor. I am cal and not easily offended. I have a creative eye and ear.
Vision of the Church:
I believe that the primary tasks of the Church must include healing, teaching, and worship. Jesus Christ provides a most effective example of those responsibilities.
The Church ought to offer healing to a broken world. Jesus made it his mission to include the least, the lost and left out. His was an open and affirming ministry of unconditional love. The Church must be a fearless champion for reconciliation and peacemaking in a fractious and violent world.
The Church has good news to share. Jesus' very first public act was his proclamation that "the kingdom of heaven has come near." It is the Church's task to teach that same message. We teach by loving others and by loving all. We teach by proclaiming, in word and action, the truths that Jesus embodied. We teach by inviting seekers and saints to deepen their relationship to God.
The Church offers rest and inspiration in its invitation to worship God. Jesus honored the Sabbath. He fasted and prayed and he praised the Lord. We can do no less. The Church must be about the task of authentic worship. Worship gives voice to our deepest desires for celebration, for community, for our need to express gratitude, for release and redemption and rejoicing. These are the unique tasks that the Church takes up in its worship life.
Leadership Style:
I tend to lead by example. I invite cooperation. I encourage discussion and ask for participation from others in important decisions. I am soft-spoken but tend to speak my mind clearly. I am an exceedingly calm person. I prefer to make decisions by consensus, but serving small churches has often required me to be a self-starter.
