City Church Family:
In our congregational meeting this morning I announced that we have hired an assistant pastor who will serve as a church planting resident over the next two years.
Israel Ruiz will join our staff on October 1st. He and his wife Marietta, and their two children, Antonio and Lessley, will move to the area in mid-October. Israel is an ordained minister in our denomination who has served as an assistant pastor at a church in Virginia the past four years.
The funding for this residency will come largely from external sources. The money we invest in the residency will come from our savings so the impact on our general budget will be minimal.
In addition to preaching and administering the sacraments, Israel will focus on community outreach. He will be immersed in our ministry philosophy and introduced to a variety of relationships and resources to help him prepare for the possibility of church planting after the residency.
I am excited for the Ruiz family to join our church family as we seek to fill our diverse communities with the presence of Jesus in this next season of City Church’s life!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jason