JULIA’S DEPARTURE

If you have not heard, Julia has given notice and will be leaving Southminster.  Her husband has accepted a new call and they will be moving out of state.  I cannot overstate how wonderful she has been to me and the church as a member of our staff. 

If you have ever had the pleasure of working with her, you know her technical skills are second to none.  Yet those are only a small portion of what she does every day.  She talks through church issues with members, handles confidential and public notices about births and deaths, she knows all the events of the church and keeps all of us in the know about what is going on in the life of the church.  Her knowledge of worship and liturgy have been such a blessing to me in planning Sunday services.  If I were to list all the ways she has helped all our Commissions, this article would be a hundred pages long! 

She is a servant at heart and will be missed as a dear friend to many of us.  We wish her only the best as she goes on to find God’s next adventure.

     Pastor Karl

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe that I have been living life among you all here at Southminster for almost four years.  You all in so many ways have “taken me in” - you have welcomed me and my family from day one.  Through these past four years, many of you have become close friends and so many of you have always dropped by the office to say hello and ask questions about my family.

To say that you will be missed is an understatement.  Thank you all so much for these past four years.  Many of you have asked what my husband will be doing.  As of August 1, Mark is the Director of Donor Growth and Formation for Spiritual Orphans Network.  For many years now, we have both been a part of the ministry of SON.  At its heart, this minis

try is relational—connecting people to the global family of Christ.  The short-term mission trips provide encouragement to our partners overseas and provide a rich opportunity for our team members to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ and their understanding of the Kingdom of God—and leave a legacy that impacts people for generations. 

You all here at Southminster have become a part of that global family of Christ.  First by just allowing me time away from the ministry here at Southminster for the short-term mission trips in June.  Secondly, so many of you have given generously of your financial resources to help makes these trips possible.  And most importantly, you have prayed for me and our teams before, during and after our trips. 

I hope that you will consider staying connected to this ministry in the coming years.  While leaving is bittersweet, I fully believe that God is leading us into a new adventure and that you all will remain a part of that. 

One of your biggest strengths as a congregation is your understanding of being in relationship with each other.  You are a caring and compassionate group.  Never underestimate the power of that relational generosity and compassion.  God can and will use that to impact the kingdom.  The mission is as urgent today as it’s ever been.  And that relational generosity—when shaped by Jesus—can reach spiritual orphans and reconnect them to the global family of Christ.

    Julia Wilhelm