This past Sunday, I announced some staffing additions at our church. I am excited about the changes, and the new leadership that is joining us.

This week, Mark Jones has joined us as Interim Associate Minister. Mark & his wife Gail are between ministries, and they are at a place in life where Mark is able to help us for the next several months here at Fern Creek Christian Church. This is not their first go-round with us; Mark served as senior minister at FCCC from 1989-96.

While he is with us, Mark will help people get connected to the church, he will do some teaching and preaching, and he will provide general leadership and ministry support within our church family. Unfortunately, Mark’s ministry with us will be short-term, as we don’t have a full-time opening that matches up with his gifts and our current needs; so Mark will be looking for a full-time, permanent position in leadership and teaching. But while he does that, he and Gail have located in Louisville, where Mark’s parents live. I hope you’ll make Mark & Gail feel welcome, as they share with us and serve with us over the next several months.

We have asked Mark to join us on this interim basis because the leadership has been talking with a person to come on staff as our full-time minister of discipleship. This person is in campus ministry, and if he is going to join us at Fern Creek, it will not be until the school year is complete. This leads to the need for some help in the meantime; this is where Mark comes in.

Let me say that I sense God’s hand in all of this. I believe that we have a full-time, long-term person in mind for the discipleship position who will help lead us forward as a church in the area of growing to look more like Jesus. But I believe that Mark’s coming is also a win-win, as he helps our church not lose momentum in the meantime.

And one more addition to share with you. We have also been talking with a young man about helping Josh Cooper and our student ministry. In January, Justin Timmins will join the staff at Fern Creek as part-time Associate Student Minister. Justin is a senior at Milligan College, and will be joining us on weekends. Justin’s wife, Nickie (Ball), grew up at Fern Creek. We are excited to welcome Justin, and welcome Nickie back to FCCC.

If Fern Creek is your church home, please be praying as God continues to lead us through these staffing changes. I am looking forward to what God will do through them — and through all of us, together!