Dear Friends,
It’s certainly been a quick five years since newly ordained Pastor Steve Miller arrived from St. Louis and was installed into our team ministry here at St. Andrew. During his 61 months among us, we have been richly blessed by his faithful service, good spirit, and witness for Christ as our Associate Pastor. I also know that he has been richly blessed by your generosity of spirit and commitment to the mission of our Lord here in Maryland.
For all those blessings we give thanks as Pastor Steve and Andrea depart for their return to St. Louis and a new chapter in life and ministry at Messiah Lutheran Church. Though we will surely miss them within our fellowship, we also share their excitement in the Spirit’s promptings to go and serve in part of the Lord’s vineyard that is very familiar to them, confident that they go with our love, prayers, and thanks.
As one who also wears the yoke of pastoral ministry, I well know the singular place our “first call” occupies in our hearts. St. Andrew will always represent the launching of Pastor Miller’s ministry and the first congregation in which he administered the sacraments and proclaimed the Good News of Christ. He also ministered personally to many of you in your joys and sorrows and in ways that you will long remember and cherish. As for me, I am truly grateful that by God’s grace he passed our way and was a partner in the Gospel with me and all of you, and I already know that we’ll be praying for Andrea and Steve in their new spiritual adventure.
Like their transition signals a new beginning for them, new beginnings are also in store for us as the process of seeking servants of God’s choosing continues at St. Andrew. While we don’t know who they will be or when they will arrive, I trust that with them more blessings will come to our community of faith as well as to those who will one day discover the loving, serving, Christ-centered, mission driven congregation you are.
For now, we say “thanks be to God” for all the blessings given, received, and yet to come as we wish Pastor Steve and Andrea every blessing in Christ in all the days that are yet to be.
The Lord be with you+In Christ, your brother,
Pastor Hricko