Thanks for Having Me!

My thoughts and feelings as I have entered into the New Hope Community Life Ministry family are completely infused with gratefulness, first to the Lord for His faithfulness and then to each one of you, the churches, the board, the counselors, staff, volunteers, and supporters. My thanks is for the warmth and obvious love that you have welcomed me with. This can be chalked up to the shared character of Christ that has been worked into each one of you, and to God's favor in opening this door of service for me to join you in the adventure of putting legs to our faith, by loving others in real and lasting ways!

Though I am a "newbie" around here, it has been a long time coming: almost 40 years! From my first ride into this area down May Post Office Road seeking the elusive Robert Fulton birthplace, I loved the bucolic nature of our farms, fields, and forests, enjoying the ride while not finding the house at all. My wife, Katy, had an amazing journey to this area, from New York City and an encounter with David Wilkerson's mother, who told her to find a Bible believing church, and so spent a summer on a farm on Noble Road with a local pastor's family. By the time we had found each other, the concept of moving to the southern end was already percolating in our minds. Encounters with Conowingo, Muddy Run, Black Rock, and the Birth Care Center reinforced this desire - I have a vivid memory of standing in front of Maplehofe and looking up at Solanco High School on the hill, saying to myself that my children would be going there someday (Katy was pregnant with our oldest daughter, Sarah, who is 31 now!).

From that time it took until 1993 for us to move into our cabin in the woods on Robert Fulton Highway in Wakefield, just down from his birthplace, and from there to watch our children, Sarah, Adam, Jesse, and Leah grow and graduate and go into all the world, following their own life adventures. A big part of that process, while I was still pastoring in Chester County and Katy was working with Birthcare, and both of us with Sight and Sound for various productions, has been our involvement in Wakefield Ambulance Association, as an officer and supervisor. From this springboard into the EMS and volunteer organization world, Katy has developed into a primary EMT instructor and coordinator for Harrisburg Area Community College, with an annual class right here in the southern end. I have become part of the Lancaster County Critical Incident Stress Management Team helping throughout the county with traumatized first responders. The other big part of our journey has been to fall in love with folks we meet on our daily ambulance trips throughout our district from the river hills to the farms to the towns to the newer neighborhoods. Our heart for them has grown as we have settled into Living Stones Fellowship church in Wakefield, while partnering with other churches to bless our community!

Now the Lord has opened this door at New Hope for further service to those in the churches and those not yet! My greatest blessing is to know that I can only do this one day at a time yoked together with Jesus and with each of you. By His Word and through His Holy Spirit, we can go forward in faith and love, building on the incredible foundation He and the master architects who He has used to found and to foster New Hope Community Life Ministry have laid with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone. May we build together with the gold, silver, and precious gems of our spirits, hearts, minds, and all our strengths in loving God and our neighbors!