Who are these guys?

Perhaps you've noticed some of these few new faces on the platform at GraceSLO this summer and perhaps you happened to be away on the Sundays when they were introduced. What's going on? Who are these guys?

Glad you asked.

When Pastor Steve announced his resignation to pursue other callings last spring, our Ministry Staff and Elders began to seek the Lord and discuss together how we might fill the many areas of ministry Steve oversaw and lead. As we explored options and ideas, we were surprised and delighted to see the Lord lead us in an unexpected direction.

We decided together to split the Adult Ministries Pastor position into three new part time positions to address what we perceived as current needs of our ministry. Given the continuing economic uncertainty, we established these positions as one year positions, renewable on an annual basis depending on funding and the current needs of the ministry. This gives us great financial and ministry flexibility as we move ahead.

What was even more unexpected was to see how the Lord quickly provided qualified and gifted men to fill these positions. Here are those new positions and the men (pictured above) who fill them:

Adult Ministries Director: Tim Arlen (left in pic)

With a great heart and passion for ministry, Tim A. has been a key and right hand volunteer with Pastor Steve throughout the areas of Adult Ministry for nearly the last 5 years. He has also been the lead on our Adopt-A-People team.

Beyond Grace, Tim works as an in home/in hospital teacher for laid up students unable to make to the classroom. He also serves as a missionary/teacher/trainer with BEE World international which is focused on Biblical and theological education for pastors around the world. Tim goes on 2-3 mission trips with BEE each year. Tim and his wife Tammy have 6 children.

Tim will be focusing his energy and time in the area of Growth Groups as we continue to develop this priority "big rock" ministry, but will also be helping in the areas of Adult Bible Fellowships/Sunday Morning Seminars and Missions as we move toward the adoption of an unreached people. We're excited about Tim's next step with us.


College Ministry Director: Tim Fox (middle in pic)

We've had our eye on Tim for the last year, hoping to bring him on as a College Ministry Assistant next to Pastor Steve, but felt constrained because of some financial uncertainties. When Pastor Steve resigned, we immediately looked to Tim.

After graduating from Cal Poly, Tim spent a year oversees serving with Campus Crusade and then a year as intern staff at Cal Poly. Tim currently attends Western Seminary and previously has worshiped, with his wife Marijke, just across town at CalvarySLO.

Steve has made a commitment to help Tim transition in and take the reins of our vital College Ministry. We're excited to see how the Lord is going to use and develop Tim here at GraceSLO as he moves toward full-time pastoral ministry.


Worship Ministries Assistant: Scott Head (right in pic)

As our culture continues to change and our congregation continues to broaden across the generational spectrum, we face the continual challenge of worshiping together. At GraceSLO, we're committed to worshiping together, rather then splitting and segmenting our services, because we're committed to living the Gospel together . . . considering and serving the interests and preferences of others before our own. Its not the easy way in our consumeristic "have it your way" culture, but we continue to think its the right way for us.

We want to do what we do well, with excellence, unto the Lord. We believe Scott is uniquely gifted to help us do what we do better on the contemporary front, making sure we continue to connect with and involve younger generations.

Scott and his wife Carly have attended Grace for the last 5 years as Cal Poly students and, last year, after getting married, experienced the joy and connection of a Growth Group. Scott has a background in classical music, but for the last 5 years has been a member of the Pat Little Band and also lead worship at the Campus Crusade weekly meeting. Scott works almost full time in SLO at a local computer services company called iFixIt. We think Scott and Pastor Al make a great team as we continue to move forward and grow our Worship Ministries.

So will you welcome and encourage these guys, as you have opportunity to interact with them? Its definitely a new look for our staff, but we're excited about the possibilities. Its been a great process for our leadership. We give thanks to the Lord for His faithful provision in this season of change.

hunter

Our Jr. High Director, Ben Collins, is a country boy! Check out these pics of his recent hunting trip where he and a buddy tagged no less than 18 geese and a couple of ducks . . .



Both the pics and the telling of his tale blew my mind. Seriously. . . another world that I know nothing about. . . . trekking over ice in the dark, lying in boats with geese decoys for hours, staying at an inn with camo sheets, etc.

You gotta ask him about it . . . I had no idea . . .

Welcome!

We have a terrific Admin Staff that helps us ministry folk do what we do. We couldn't do it without them.

Recently, Anna Lyons graduated from Cal Poly and had to move on to the "real world" of full time employment, so we've recently called Carrie Haughey to join the team as our part-time Student Ministries Administrative Assistant. Carrie and her husband, Kyle, have attended Grace for over three years. Carrie has been active in our Children's Ministry and, most recently, in our Christmas production, A Christmas Chronicle. Kyle is involved in our tech ministry.

By the way, Carrie writes a blog at http://carriemartha.blogspot.com/.

Marci Newton is a junior Communications Studies Major at Cal Poly and had to or wanted to do an internship in our office here at Grace for a quarter or two for class credit. In my mind, you never turn away free labor! So Marci, too, has joined the team this week.

Our goal with Marci will be to help her experience and help her profs understand that the church is indeed an organization that communicates. . . . a lot! That's what we do! (That's what I'm doing right now!) Marci will be shadowing Debbie Johnston, our Business Administrator, and helping with a wide variety of tasks as needed.

By the way, my goal is to have a wide-variety of internships available for college students in areas like Student Ministries, Children's Ministry, Graphic Design, Business Administration, Communications, etc . I see this as an opportunity for students to see and experience the inner workings of a church and for us to benefit from their fresh perspective and new ideas. I see this as absolutely in-line with our mentoring/discipleship/equipping/Gospel transformation vision.

So, if you're interested in an internship here at Grace, give us a call!

Welcome to the team, gals!

changes

One of my great joys is working with our great staff here at Grace. For over four years I've had the great privilege of working with Kathy Borland, who has served as our Business Administrator. Kathy has been a loyal friend and confidant to me in these early years at Grace. She's helped bring "order out of chaos" in our administrative area. Her service to the Lord and His people at Grace and to me has been invaluable.

At the end of May we will reluctantly release Kathy to pursue other callings.

Kathy has recently been appointed as the Director of Nursing at Cuesta College. This bit appeared in Friday's Tribune. . . .

Cuesta College

Former General Hospital nursing director Kathy Borland is the new director of Cuesta College’s nursing and allied health programs.

Borland, a San Luis Obispo resident, held the General Hospital position from 1993 until her resignation in March 2001. She began working for the hospital in 1986.

She is replacing Mary Parker, who directed the Cuesta program for 35 years.

Cuesta has registered nursing and licensed vocational nursing programs, in addition to nine allied health programs, including those for nursing assistants and emergency medical technicians.

Fifty-six new RNs graduate each year from Cuesta, but the program has more than 200 students on its waiting list. The college recently stopped adding names to the list so it could discuss possibly expanding the program. Cuesta is the top source of local nurses.

If we have to lose Kathy to another opportunity, I'm glad its a BIG one like this one. I have great confidence that Kathy will be used of God to take the nursing program at Cuesta College to new and higher places. Congratulations, Kathy!