It is with sadness and deep care that I am informing you of my resignation as Children’s Pastor at
Jericho Ridge Community Church, effective September 30.
I have loved being part of our community and have found it to be a space where I’ve grown and
developed as a disciple of Jesus, a leader, and a pastor. It has been a joy to serve alongside the
leadership team and worship Jesus with you and the broader church family. I had hoped to be
able to continue in this role for a while longer. However, due to changing family needs and my
own growing awareness of my limits, I have decided it is wise for me to step down to focus on
my kids and on what God has been inviting me to tend to in my own heart.
I recognize this is just about the worst timing possible to have news of a staff transition. It will
not be easy and will cause more work in a season of heavy lifting. I know I cannot lessen the
impact my resignation will inevitably have, but I do want to signal my desire to stay engaged. I
have a deep desire to continue teaching the Fuel class and engaging in that area. If questions or
specific ministry-related training needs arise in the coming weeks, I am also happy to offer help
in these areas to whomever takes on this role." - Ruth Ellen
Watch a clip of Ruth Ellen sharing her heart below
A Note from the Elders:
We received and processed Ruth Ellen's resignation in mid-Sept. With her husband Jared serving as both an elder and worship leading in a season of heavy lifting, we wanted to honour the desire of her heart to be done at the end of the month and not push to the point of deep fatigue. So we created an Interim Children's Director contract position and made a short list of people to approach so that the church could experience ministry continuity and stability.
We conducted an interview with Claire Penner and are delighted that she said yes to this position. Claire will begin serving Oct 1 and will dedicate 14 hours per week to the ministry, providing Sunday AM support to our volunteers as well as mid-week scheduling, recruiting and leadership development. Claire comes to us with a track record of ministry leadership in working with families. She will continue in her half-time role as the program coordinator with Youth Unlimited Vancouver's Young Families program in Surrey. She and Liam are expecting their first child in January 2024 so the contract is structured to wrap up accordingly.
We will be launching a search for a half-time Children's Pastor later this fall and we invite you to pray for God to bring us the right candidate for that position.
- Your Elders team
