I thank my God for every remembrance of you, 
always in every one of my prayers for all of you,
praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue
to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart.
Philippians 1:3-7

25 years ago, yesterday, was the beginning of a new adventure in my life. It was a day of great celebration as I embarked on the road of ordained ministry and received the title Reverend!

As I reflect upon this journey, I am filled with gratitude for all those who have traveled with me.  For the colleagues and mentors who inspired me and partnered with me.  For the friends that shared life with me, the highs and the lows and all the moments in-between.  For the church families who loved me and supported me.  And especially for those who have walked every step of this journey with me, bolstering my confidence and encouraging me to keep the faith and journey on.

The road getting to where I am today has not been an easy one but it is a journey that I often look back upon with gratitude because it truly helped me to be confident in the call God has placed on my life.

When I started Seminary, I was a shy and timid 23 year old, full of more questions than answers about the future and really unsure about what God was calling me to be…was I really being called to be a Minister? I had a fear of public speaking and didn’t consider myself smart enough to be a pastor and then there was in Grad School! The good news was my higher education journey was a fabulous one, I finally felt that I belonged and I was smart! (I even went back to Grad School two more times.  The third time I added a “Dr.” before my name!)

As I began my ordination journey, I felt confident that God was leading me in this direction. I wasn’t sure exactly what the end result would be for I was still filled with lots of questions and lots of doubt but still confident that this was God’s path for my life.  The process was filled with personal struggle for me to walk in the confidence of God’s call upon my life to ministry and to demonstrate that sense of call to others. Though this was a heartbreaking journey, I persevered!

As an almost 29-year-old confident Seminary graduate, on November 18, 2000, I reached the other side and was able to look back upon that journey as one of growth, confidence and clarity of the call God placed on my heart.  Of course, I was still filled with lots of questions and only a few more answers but I knew without a doubt on that day God had called and God Ordained me…with my family and friends present to confirm it!

So now … 25 years later, I have served 8 very different congregations in 4 different states. I have been blessed in my life of ministry to walk beside some amazing people.  To share my faith and love for Jesus as my life’s work.  To share great joys and heartbreaking sorrows, and to celebrate both new life and end of life moments.

As an almost 54-year-old I think I still have more questions than answers! I still have doubts and momentary lapses of confidence but then remember I am not alone on this journey and see the faces of those I have the privilege of serving with and carry on with confidence.  It has been an amazing journey and I look forward to all that lies ahead in the years to come.

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—
not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be.”
 1 Peter 5:2