Two Sunday’s ago, February 2, we had an all-Church update meeting. There was a sizable group of our people in attendance as I gave a winter time update on multiple topics. The most important of these was an introduction of a young man and his family, Tim and Cassi Kim and their four year old daughter Joanna (Jo Jo). As I write this to you our church family, let me explain who they are and why we brought this up. There is the very strong possibility that we will invite the Kim family to come to our church and have Tim not only serve on our church pastoral team, but join our team as the next Sr Pastor here at LifeWay.
Let me give you more detail.
I realize of course that I have been honored to be senior pastor here at Lifeway for many years. I love it and I have no plans to move away. This is our Church home and has been for more than 4 decades. Patty and I have full plans to continue to serve in and with this church family for as long as God would allow that to be true for us. I’m also not saying that I’m tired and I want to quit my job as senior pastor. I love serving this Church and I have served in many different roles over the four decades the ministry here. And as I said I certainly pray that there’s more to come. I can talk about that later.
But I have had for some time now a desire — not to ‘retire’ (using the modern familiar cultural verbiage) but instead seek what God would lead us to in the days and years ahead. Who would be the next Sr Pastor? I certainly have had a preferred checklist (realizing that my human checklist is not always God’s checklist). But If you wanted to know my checklist, here is what it would be.
- Someone who was a gifted and passionate teacher of the Word of God and not directed by the cultural shifts that are constantly moving.
- Someone who had a huge mission’s heart;
- Someone who has served overseas for an extended period of time;
- Someone who could bring that missionary spirit into our city because it is such a grand mission field here;
- Someone who had a huge pastoral heart and would fall in love with this congregation that is so special and amazing;
- And as a bonus, I have prayed for and sought after someone who was younger who could carry out this task, maybe not for 40 years, but certainly for a lengthy period of time.
Through a series of relationships with our overseas partners (Kevin & Rachel Perry to be exact) we came across Tim Kim and the Kim family. There were several interesting and intriguing conversations with him and them, from about Labor Day weekend through this Fall and into the holiday season; but they were only conversations with much Q & A and prayer. They currently live and serve in west Asia and have served in this field for seven years now. He is a pastor in that country. They have felt led to move back to the states and finish their time in that church, and plan to come back to the USA in the Fall of 2025. The conversations and interest in him coming to join us here has grown a great deal especially since Christmas. Since the holidays especially there have been many visits with church leaders from our church (all online of course as they still live overseas) and there are more to come. But I, the Elders, and many other church leaders have concluded that we want to meet this family in person and they certainly need to meet LifeWay.
All this said, I would like for you to mark on your calendar now Sunday May 18. Tim, Cassi and Jo Jo will be coming here to Federal Way for about a week of visits and touring and conversation, and he will for sure be preaching on that Sunday. We will follow that service on May 18 with a luncheon visit for all who can participate.
Here’s what I’m asking of you at this point. Be in prayer for them. Be in prayer for our dear Church family. Let me stress to you that neither the Kim’s nor our LifeWay leaders have made a firm and final decision about them coming here, but we have felt led to this point, and we will take this step. We have a plan to meet as a church family two Sunday’s after their visit, which will be Sunday June 1 to review it all and pray through what we felt led to do at that point. But as I said, I am asking you to be praying about this now.
I would be honored to visit with any of you about this over the next weeks. Our Elders and our Pastoral team would be glad to do this as well.
May God bless the ministry that He has given for us to do in this city and around the world.
