Dear friends: August 12
As many of you are aware, August is my last month on staff at First Pres. This coming Sunday, I expect to be called to serve as the Pastor of Delmar Presbyterian Church, marking the end of a six-year journey towards ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament.
While I am excited to begin the work that God has called me towards, I also grieve leaving this loving, thriving, and supportive congregation. It has been such a privilege to learn, grow, and walk alongside each of you. I will always be grateful for the way that you have embraced me and invited me into your lives. Over the past four years, through visits with many of you on the phone, in the hospital, and in your homes, I have been blessed to hear your stories and share in the joys and sorrows of your lives.
My time at First Pres has been vital to my preparation for ministry. I would not be as prepared to lead a congregation without the experiences, relationships, and opportunities I’ve been given here. Fittingly for the name, First Pres has gifted me with many of my firsts in ministry: my first sermon, my first church school class, my first newsletter article, my first home visit, my first hospital visit, and so many more. These experiences have shaped and formed me as a pastor and will continue to influence my ministry for years to come.
Thank you for your unceasing prayers and for the countless ways so many of you have nurtured, encouraged, and formed my pastoral ministry. Thank you for allowing me to walk alongside you through the joys and sorrows of life. Those conversations, visits, prayers, and moments of connection have been among the greatest gifts of my ministry here.
I leave First Pres with tremendous gratitude for the ministry we have shared, and for the ways God has used this congregation to shape my call. I will always carry the lessons, stories, and love of this congregation with me throughout my pastoral ministry.
Thank you, First Pres, for being such an important part of my journey. May God continue to bless this congregation, its ministry, and each of you as we follow where God is leading us.
God’s Peace,
Matt McGraw
Parish Visitor