Everyone knows that our daughter church, The Harbor, has been rooting itself in Crown Hill, perhaps one mile to the Northwest of Greenwood. And, good things have happened there.
First of all, the church has literally taken root with a community garden. Just a week or so ago, Harbor’s summer intern, Libby, hosted a dinner for all those in the neighborhood who are involved and got a good turn out and was able to turn up the energy for growing local, organic and sustainable food. Also, Harbor has been growing young people as well with Preschool at the Harbor (PATH), which is populated largely by the children of Sanctuary members.
As if this is not enough, let me share a little bit about Jana Kelder Koh and the work she and her husband Jeremy have been doing In addition to leading worship and preaching at Harbor, they are beginning to draw a new group of local young adults and families that can really solidify the church in a short time. And, hooray for Jana!! She just passed a rigorous ordination examination and was admitted into the ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. So along with John Westfall’s credentials for ministry, Sanctuary will be holding those of the Harbor’s new Associate Pastor. What a great addition to the CRC, the Classis Pacific Northwest and Sanctuary’s church planting team. Jana was stellar in her responses at the ordination exam and there few questions and none to challenging. That’s what a happens when a really sharp and well prepared candidate steps up. She sustained her exam nearly perfectly! She will be ordained at Harbor Church on Sunday August 4th at the 10am service. Feel free to attend and cheer for Jana.
Think of what Sanctuary does as a church planting (parenting) church. We sponsor new work like the Harbor and then, the Harbor flies out of this nest and starts it’s own thing. Several years from its genesis, Harbor now is on its way to a hundred attenders, and has an associate pastor and ministry team that can carry the church forward for this next generation. And, what was generated by Sanctuary is now generative of its ministries and new ministers. This system is far from perfect. I am sure Sanctuary has failed in many of its efforts to understand and support church plants. But, we are all making a little progress, and that delights me. Some day soon, Harbor will receive members and form a group of people to be trained as elders and become an “organized” CRC church with the ability to start churches and ministries of its own apart from Sanctuary.
Give thanks to God with me for the work of Harbor and for God’s blessing on them as they go forward. And, congratulations to the Rev. Jana Koh!
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