It’s been ten wonderful years serving at Bethel Lutheran Church. In September of 2012 I thanked you all for your recent vote to call me as your new senior pastor. I also expressed my great appreciation for my predecessor, Pastor Dennis Nelson, and the great job he did in paving the way for me to step into this position. I was so very excited and looking forward to sharing this ministry with you here at Bethel!

And now, ten years later, I am writing my final newsletter cover article, and I want to express my deep love and appreciation for you, and thank you for the great privilege and pleasure to serve you, and serve with you! I cannot imagine any congregation that could have, or would have been any more responsive, invested, and loving than you have been over this great decade! For that, I am so very thankful! These years with you have been active, growing, meaningful, rewarding, inspiring, challenging, fun, and so very memorable for both Janet and me!

As you may know, church protocol makes it clear, a retiring pastor needs to “step away” from the congregation, at least for awhile. This gives the remaining pastors, and a new senior pastor, some “space” to get established in their new positions, and team. So though Janet and I plan to remain in Hudson, we won’t be able to be involved at Bethel, nor will I be able to come back to officiate at baptisms, wedding, or funerals. You have gifted pastors here that are more than capable of doing these pastoral acts, and doing them so very well! Please value and appreciate my talented colleagues for all THEY bring to this ministry! Please know, our church council is well on the way in planning for the future. They are interviewing interim pastors to serve in the next “in between” months… and they are assembling a Call Committee, as well as a Transition Team, to work towards bringing a new senior pastor to Bethel. I sincerely hope you’ll step forward to help them in their work, if they extend an invitation for your involvement.

I also hope and pray you will continue your strong financial support of this mission and ministry! You have so faithfully and generously given, and
especially through these past couple years of the pandemic. It’s in this time of transition that Bethel will need your involvement, team work, and loyalty
all the more!

Last but not least, I ask you to pray for the call process, all those involved with it, and then the new senior pastor when she or he arrive here. I hope and pray you will offer them the same generous and loving encouragement you have offered to Janet and me these past ten years. (I hope you know, we will carry you in our hearts as we begin this new phase of our lives!) You’ve heard me say it before, but again I remind you, we have a great God, and I believe Bethel’s greatest days of ministry are ahead of you, not behind you! So please, please, please….go on living your faith in your everyday lives and continue making a difference for Jesus Christ, both near and far! All God’s best to you, friends!

In God’s Great Love!
Pastor John Lestock