Watch the video message below from Pastor Jenn as she shares a heartfelt thank you for last Sunday’s special celebration honoring her 19 years of ministry here at St. Luke’s. She reflects on the ways your love, support, and faith have shaped her family and the community, from meaningful moments of worship to the countless ways you’ve served, sung, and celebrated together. In her message, she expresses gratitude for the joy, growth, and shared memories, and how each of you has left a lasting mark on her life – truly changing her and her family “for good” as they step into a new chapter.
Click to read the video transcript
Hello St. Lukers. I just wanted to take a moment and stop and say thank you for everything. This past Sunday was one of the most beautiful days of my life.
From the music and the videos and the liturgy and every person who spoke or who sang, who served, and who plans the beautiful day, I am overwhelmed because it was incredibly meaningful.
I know so many of you had your hands in making that day what it was, and we as a family felt your embrace and your love and your deep care for who we are.
Thank you for the cards and the gifts for the artwork and the flowers and the food and the Leonard Brothers bands.
Thank you for everything, especially your generosity. The afternoon and evening celebration was something that only St. Luke’s could accomplish, and the fact that you did that for us is honestly overwhelming.
John, Grace, Carter, and Ollie, Sam, and I feel deeply, deeply loved, and we are grateful for 19 years of life and ministry with you together.
St. Luke’s didn’t just give me a church to serve. St. Luke’s helped raise us as a family. You made each of us who we are today, and you gave each of us wings to learn and lead and discover all of our new callings.
And now you’ve given us the greatest gift, which is the gift of release, so that all of us can move on to the next chapters, including you.
The week before, you know me, I’m always thinking about how to work through different I always think of scripture, but I also think of songs and shows.
And the week before Sunday, I could just keep thinking of one lyric again and again. And it’s the song that you gifted with me on Sunday afternoon.
Because I knew you, I have been changed for good. St. Luke’s, the Stiles Williams gang has been changed for good because we have known you.
And we will never, as Paul says, stop ceasing to give thanks for you in all of our prayers now all this week, all I could think of was the words, it was practically perfect in every way, which led me to think about Mary Poppins and who Mary Poppins actually was.
She was someone who came in during a season of a family’s life to help them remember the foundations of who they were, their identity as a family, what they valued, kindness, responsibility, and love.
She helped each different member of the family rediscover themselves, their laughter, their joy, their voices, their callings, and she held the boundaries of goodness and grace while helping each of them grow to embrace their next chapters before she could leave.
Now pastors are often described as shepherds, as leaders, as evangelists, as prophets, but maybe in some ways we should describe ourselves as governesses, watching over a growing congregation by giving them the tools to discover themselves and who they are called to be.
The truth is, maybe that’s what I’ve been doing all along, helping you find new expressions of Christ’s love that only St. Luke’s can share, helping you lift up your own voice in particularly difficult times, helping you live out your spiritual gifts in new and creative ways for our community.
It seems as if my role has been helping the Holy Spirit bring out the beauty that was already present within the sacred community for a season, a long, glorious, extraordinary season.
And now as I sit here surrounded by boxes in my new home in Auburndale and trying to figure out the next chapter of my new job at the conference office, that description feels pretty accurate for what comes next. And St. Luke’s, you have been my schooling. You have formed me and stretched me and loved me in ways that I will carry for the rest of my life.
So one last time, thank you for your love, for your faith, for 19 wonderful years. You are practically perfect in every way. And so you are becoming exactly what John Wesley called you to do, be perfected in love.
Corey and your staff and you are going to accomplish great new things for the kingdom of God in Orlando. And I will be your number one cheerleader supporting you and cheering for you from afar, but also inviting you to use your giftedness and your creativity to help me in my new job.
So yes, never ever forget because I knew you, I have been changed for good. So grace, Peace, blessings, and remember St. Luke’s family to always just love.
