We are so excited to the Hollingsworths back, firstly, because they are our friends!
But we are also excited Taylor will begin serving the church full time.
Taylor’s first day is June 29.
After moving back last weekend, Taylor is taking a few weeks off with his family to get situated back in their new home in Athens.
He will officially begin working for the church on Tuesday, June 29.
And he’ll cap off his first week of work by going on the mission trip to Mexico!
WHAT WILL TAYLOR DO?
Right now, Pastor Walt is the only full-time employee for Trinity Grace, so there is so much Taylor could do to help us. However, adding Taylor as a full-time employee & discerning how he can best serve the church will take time.
However, the primary focus of his work will be: help us welcome new folks & reach unchurched folks in our community.
As you know (or will soon find out), Taylor & his wife Elisabeth are very warm & welcoming. They love people & love—more than anything else—seeing people rooted in God’s love for them in Jesus. They are gifted with people & we are excited to see their gifts serve our church.
In this role, Taylor will help welcome new folks & help folks who begin attending get connected. He will plan & lead outreach classes & opportunities. He will train us in sharing the gospel with neighbors, co-workers, & friends. He will work with the Deacons on ways we can serve the folks in our community by meeting practical needs.
We are sure he will do more than that! However, we are excited that this will be his primary focus!
WHAT WILL BE HIS TITLE?
Taylor will continue serve the church full-time as a Pastoral Resident.
Pastoral Resident is a title we use for someone seeking to understand pastoral ministry & serve in pastoral ministry prior to being ordained. Taylor served as a part-time pastoral resident for a year before attend Pastors College.
What’s ordination? I’m glad you asked!
The New Testament calls pastors to ordain men by the “laying on of hands” to serve the church as pastors after a time of preparation & evaluation. Paul referenced this moment in Timothy’s life (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). Acts 13:1-3 describes a similar ordination-type service. 1 Timothy 5:22 commands pastors to do this carefully saying, “do not be hasty in the laying on of hands.”
So, on June 29, Taylor will continue to serve as a pastoral resident & will begin preparing for ordination.
Please pray for Taylor!
In partnership with the other churches in our region, the ordination process will include a fair amount of reading, 2 written exams, & an oral exam sometime next Spring. After the completion of those exams (which we are sure Taylor will crush!), we will provide time to hear from you & confirm your sense of God calling Taylor to serve us.
god is building his church.
Jesus promised us, I will build my church & the gates of hell will not prevail against us.
The return of the Hollingsworths, amidst all the other things God is doing in our church, is another reminder that God is at work building Trinity Grace Church. Not because we are impressive & definitely not because we are impressed with ourselves. God is building his church so that more in our city & county might know “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7).
To God be all the glory!