To everyone at LCC:

Let me tell you what an incredible privilege it is for me to be your pastor. Each day, I’m reminded what a wonderful opportunity it is for me to know you, serve you, and encourage you. Each week, I’m reminded what an incredible responsibility it is for me to bring God’s Word to you in a relevant and informative way. Nevertheless, each year, you remind me that LCC is a congregation of generous people who understand the value of community.

Last Sunday, at the end of our announcement time, Dave Hynes stood up to share before the whole congregation that a collection had been taken up during the month of October for me and for Pastor Reggie in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month. I was completely surprised and had no idea that anything like that was going on behind the scenes. He handed me a gift bag that had some fancy chocolates in it and a card with $50 worth of coffee gift certificates inside.

You guys know me well.

See, I’m not a big fan of normal chocolate or normal coffee. I like the crazy strange weird (and usually expensive) stuff. I like the chocolate with chili powder in it to make it spicy, the 90% Cacao dark chocolate that makes your mouth feel dry, the salted chocolate that has real crystals of sea salt in it. I like the strange chocolate, and I’ll go on record now saying that the stuff you all gave me on Sunday was (and half of it still is) absolutely incredible. There’s some seriously strange, fancy chocolate in there, and it’s all amazing.

Also, the gift cards for the coffee are for the most amazing coffee shops in town. I’ve already bought a bag of beans that I intend to french press for my Life Group tonight.

Nevertheless, gift cards, chocolate, money, whatever, all those things are great and all, and I love you all the more for them, but what really excites me, what really gets my motor running, and what really reminds me of your appreciation for me is whenever I see you growing in your relationship to Christ.

This last year, I have received the great gift of seeing people step up to do more than simply greet Sunday morning visitors but to engage them during our Interaction time, to invite them to join Life Groups, to share meals with them, and to welcome them into the life of our church. I have seen people step up to give of themselves financially, making the commitment to return to God through LCC the first 10% of their household income. I have seen people step up to become worship leaders, and KIDOPOLIS teachers, and Life Group hosts. I have seen people devote themselves to prayer, to cleaning the building, to starting a youth program, and to even building a drum cage!

I feel appreciated with chocolate, and I thank you again for your gifts, but I need to thank you even more for simply walking with Jesus. He loves you more than I ever could, not because of you, or me, but because of him.

Let’s finish 2011 strong. Let’s build each other up. Let’s reach out to the lost who don’t know Jesus. Let’s put our money where our mouth is, and let’s all together get ourselves ready for the new miracles God will do in our midst next year.

Thank you again.

Grace and Peace,

Jeff

I just got this email from Seth Curtis saying that their support level is now at 95%. All they have left to raise is $350 in monthly support! Here’s the email:

---

Hey Jeff,

Just wanted to touch base with you so you can update your people on how things are going with our departure plans.

Our current support level is at 95% — We are still in need of roughly $350 in monthly support that needs to come in between now and when we leave. Because of the closeness, we have prayerfully set our departure date for Monday, November 21st, 2011.

Our people in Congo have been notified of our arrival plans and are very excited, as are we!

…

If there might be others at LCC who would commit to sacrificially partner with the ministry in Congo personally, I have attached a Statement of Support Intent form from FGM.

Along with this, if there would be those who would like to pray for us & track our travels back to Congo and getting set back up, I will be posting regular updates on Facebook & Twitter. More frequent and pertinent updates will be released to those who are members of our FB group, “ujm LIVE!”

• Talking Drum Mailing list sign-up — http://conta.cc/talkingdrum
• Twitter — http://twitter.com/Curtises4africa
• Facebook — http://www.facebook.com/Curtises4africa
• Facebook Group — http://on.fb.me/ujmLIVE

---

To join their financial support team, download this form: Statement of Support Intent.

Throughout this series, I will be using my personal blog to record textual summaries of my messages and answers to questions that people ask.

To follow these additional posts, subscribe to my blog or click here to view all the posts related to this series.

Read Pastor Reggie’s Letter to the Congregation here.

I am always sad to see great people leave our fellowship, but every now and then, I face a situation that has me simultaneously selfishly saddened and altruistically thrilled. In my selfishness, I regret to inform you all that Pastor Reggie will be taking on a new ministry position at another church and leaving us as soon. However, I have been in on the planning and strategy of this transition for over a month now, and I must say that I am thrilled for Reggie and his family.

Many of you know Reggie’s skills and qualifications put him in a category of experience that far exceeds what we were able to pay him. I still mark it a miracle that God has provided for his family well enough over these past two years that he has been able to stay with LCC, working for slightly more than peanuts.

Nevertheless, his great gifts have now been recognized by a church with the financial resources to compensate him fully, and I rejoice that Calvary Baptist in West Lafayette has hired Reggie, effective on October 24.

We will miss him greatly, but you should know that the church is in a much stronger place now than we were when he first joined us, and I personally am already working on finding people to fill his shoes. I believe God is going to bless us as we joyfully send Reggie out to this new ministry opportunity.

Next week (October 23) will be Reggie’s final Sunday at LCC, and we want to send him out with a blessing, so let me encourage you to share a word of thanks and encouragement with Reggie by replying to this post or posting something to our church Facebook page.

From Reggie Alderman:

To the congregation of Lafayette Community Church,

It’s been my privilege to work with Pastor Jeff and the LCC church family. It’s been a little over two years that I first came to LCC when we met at the Long Center. What was a volunteer opportunity to be a part of what God was doing became a part-time staff position that has been a refreshing and exciting experience.

Recently, a full-time opportunity has opened for me to serve at Calvary Baptist Church in West Lafayette, IN as the Pastor of Operations & Counseling. My official start date is October 24, 2011. My last Sunday at LCC will be Sunday, October 23. Though all of this seems quick to some, it’s been something that has been developing over several months. I would have never thought that being the Pastor of Operations & Counseling at LCC would be the foundational experience that God would use to prepare me for the opportunity at Calvary, but in God’s plan He has brought everything to fruition in its season.

Though I’ll be serving in another church family, West Lafayette is not considered a continental relocation, so in many ways the friendships that have been forged here will continue. After all, we’re under the same assignment that Christ gave to us all.

Warmest Regards and God’s best in all things,

Reggie Alderman
October 14, 2011