Hello Jericho Ridge,
We trust that you have been enjoying the beautiful summer months. As we start to turn the corner with an eye to the fall, we want to provide you with an update from us as your Elders team.
Prayer & Fasting
We want to say thank you to all of you who are praying and fasting with us each Monday this summer. Together, we have been praying for a clear and unified mission and vision for Jericho Ridge moving forward, which ripples into other key areas we are seeking God’s direction in such as our finances, our Elders team composition, and staffing. As we have prayed together, we are gaining insight and clarity into these topics and want to provide you with the following update.
To read more about our time of Fasting & Prayer this summer, read our blog here.
Finances
Our conversations with CCMBC Legacy, our denominational lender, are positive and remain an ongoing priority. We deeply appreciate their support, guidance, and prayer for Jericho Ridge. To further assist us amidst our financial challenges, CCMBC Legacy has reduced our monthly mortgage payments. This is helping to alleviate our short-term financial challenges while we work to establish Jericho Ridge’s long-term mission, vision and related financial viability. Surely, God is doing immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. All glory to his name!
Elder Board Composition
At our May 2024 AGM Ministry Night, we affirmed significant transitions for our Elders team. As a result, we needed to adjust our board composition in terms of our elders’ roles based on gifts and capacity. After much prayer and discernment, we are happy to announce the new composition of our current board:
- Moderator: Del Penner
- Secretary & Vice-Moderator: Steve Nicolle
- Treasurer: Tyler Schacter
- Elder at Large: Mark Hastie
- Elder at Large: Curtis Cottrell
- Ex Officio: Pastor Wally Nickel, Pastor Jenna Tulman, Pastor Brady Ash
We are grateful for each of these people saying “yes” and ask for your ongoing prayer for our elders. We are also very thankful for Mark Hastie’s term as our previous moderator. His dedicated and steady leadership in the past season has been invaluable.
As always, if you have any questions for us as your Elders team, please reach out. You can do so with any of us personally on a Sunday morning or via email at , or Pastor Wally at .
Staff Update
We praise God for our Transitional Pastor Wally who continues to provide exceptional leadership to Jericho Ridge. His heart of love and care for us as a church family is valued and appreciated in this season of transition.
The past year brought significant challenges and change to our staff team. Pastor Brady has experienced a heavy year both in pastoral ministry and as a graduate student at Dallas Theological Seminary. As we move forward, the Elders team feels that it is best for him to take August and September to rest, renew and reset. In his absence, our staff are covering his responsibilities. Please be in prayer for our staff team, and in particular for Brady, as we anticipate his return on October 1, 2024.
With regard to our search for a Youth Director, we continue to work in partnership with Young Life as we prepare to reach out and disciple the youth of our community and Jericho Ridge this fall. The joint search process with YL continues and we will keep you updated as we progress on this front. With regard to our JFS Facility Manager role, we have suspended the search and have distributed the three primary areas of this role (building maintenance, tenant relations, facility related financials) among our existing staff and a building maintenance subcontractor. This arrangement will be in effect until the end of 2024, and we will re-evaluate at that time.
Mission and Vision
We are thankful to see a renewed sense of missional outreach beginning to emerge in the life of our congregation. As the staff plans for the fall ministry season, we are anticipating building and growing on this front. As we engage with God in his kingdom mission, he in response, is graciously imparting his long-term vision for Jericho Ridge. As our Elders team continues to pray and process what we are hearing God say that he has for Jericho Ridge and our future, we are looking forward with a confident hope to the upcoming transitional meetings this fall and the opportunity to discuss and discern together as a congregation. Please mark your calendars for our first transitional meeting on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at 7 PM at Jericho Centre.
Your Elders team,
Del P, Steve N, Tyler S, Mark H, Curtis C, Pastor Wally, Pastor Jenna, & Pastor Brady
