This past month I celebrated my fifteenth anniversary at Highland Park Christian Church. Many grateful thoughts have entered my mind. Here are five of them:

1. You honor my family. Lots of preachers feel like they are pressured to choose their job over their family. While this is a difficult balance for any of us to find, I do not feel this pressure from you.  You have protected, honored, and loved my family. Never was this more evident than when we adopted a child and birthed another in a span of four months. I barely remember a thing for the twelve months that followed, but you were gracious, and the Staff covered for me often. Thank you.
2. You encourage me to pursue my passions. I’ve loved investing time and energy into Blackbox International (thus my frequent re-tweeting), training youth workers in Asia and Africa, and ministering to young men on a basketball or tennis court. And I look forward to pursuing a writing project this summer. I always ask for permission before pursuing something that may not be directly related to my normal obligations, and so far, the leadership has always greatly encouraged me. I guess a schedule-conscious preacher and an extra-gracious church make a good combination.
3. You are genuine. Over the years, I’ve heard some disheartening stories of preachers who could not trust their church. They became jaded or discouraged. Honestly, I have no idea what this would be like. It is not that my time here has been perfectly smooth, but not once did I feel like the leadership of the church lacked sincerity. That’s a beautiful thing.
4. You are led by the Spirit. Life and ministry would be so boring if we only accomplished things according to our own ability. But how wonderful it is to see God’s hand move in miraculous ways.
5. You are invested. As I read your cards, I was overwhelmed by how many of you are 100% all in. Serving Christ is not just part of your life; it is your life. I love knowing that I get to share in ministry with you.