Job Changes

ourCOG October 28, 2010 1:29 pm #ourCOG 0

Last night we announced to our HS leaders and students about some job changes here at Mt Paran North. Afterward, an email was sent out to all staff, elders, and the Student Ministry database. Here is a copy of that email. I’ll add more comments below…

It has been said that the only constant around Mount Paran North is change. That is true again, as we continue to respond to what God is doing through the ministry of North. You may recall last year when I first presented our ministry vision of Engage Life Together, I shared with you a commitment to find new avenues to more effectively reach the next generations with the Gospel. In an effort to do this, we have created a new ministry area called Next Generation (Next Gen) Ministries which will encompass our current Student Ministries (Middle School, High School, & College) as well as a new ministry specifically for young adult singles, couples, and families in their 20’s and 30’s.

Next Gen Ministries goes into effect November 1 and will be placed under the leadership of Pastor Jeremy and Corrie Isaacs. In this role they will continue to provide leadership and oversight to Student Ministries and will assume the role of 20’s & 30’s Pastor. The Student Ministry staff will remain in their current roles with Pastor Justin Walker continuing to serve as College Pastor and Pastor Brian Downing as Middle School Pastor.

Along with these changes, we are also excited to announce the hiring of Allon Sparks as our new High School Pastor. Allon and his wife Amber have served in Student Ministry as volunteer high school leaders for the last 3 years and have become a vital part of our ministry to high school students. Allon joins our staff after working the last five years as a high school guidance counselor in Cherokee County schools. Before that he received his B.A. and Masters in Education from Lee University. Allon and Amber share a heart for ministry and a love for students, and we are excited for them to move further into ministry at North. They will be a wonderful addition to our staff. I encourage you to contact Allon and give your congratulations on this new assignment at allon@mtparan.com or 678.285.3286.

LouAnn Kates has been serving this past year as Administrative Assistant for both Children and Student Ministries. She will be serving now as Administrative Assistant for Pastor Jeremy and Next Gen Ministries, and Danee Dekonty will continue to serve as Ministry Assistant. Amanda Walker will join our staff and serve as Administrative Assistant in Children’s Ministry.

I ask for your prayers for this new ministry and all of the people involved. We are believing God for greater things to come through Mount Paran North.

Blessing,

Pastor Mark

There are a few things I’m exciting about with these changes:

1) Corrie and I still get to be involved in Student Ministries. Once Pastor approached us about this new endeavor, and during the process of praying about it, we just could not get a release from SM. So we asked for the opportunity to stay apart of this team, and he allowed us to do. We’re pumped about that!

2) We are exciting about what we believe God wants to do through the 20′s and 30′s of our congregation. We have a perception problem in our church. In talking to a lot of people, they don’t feel like there’s (m)any 20′s and 30′s here. Our numbers just don’t back that up. There are nearly 700 25-39 year olds who have given financially to the church this year. There are more than 500 parents in their 20′s and 30′s that have a child who has attended a MPN children’s service this year. They may not be as visible, for a variety of reasons, but they’re here. And we’re going to help raise their visibility.

3) I’m excited for Allon and Amber Sparks. This process has once again proven that if you are faithful, when God needs you, He’ll know where to find you. Over the last 3 years, the Sparks have done anything we’ve asked of them (and a lot of stuff we didn’t ask ) in our HS ministry. They have worked beside us. They’ve visited ballgames, school plays, cheerleading competitions, etc, etc, etc. They helped shoulder the load of ministry in ways that benefited us both. They love our students, and our students love them. This is such a great transition and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.