Eric Channing

Pastor of Congregational Care Family Ministries

Grow: In Pastoral Care

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)

Today as I sequester in my home, shut in due to COVID-19 concerns, I am reminded just how thankful I am for you, the people of College Church. I am thankful for how good God has been to our church (for nearly 160 years!), and most of all I am thankful that he is in control, especially when we feel out of control. Below I briefly highlight how I have seen growth in the people and ministry areas that I oversee.

Pastoral Care

In my role of pastoral care, I regularly plead for God’s wisdom as I walk with many of you through challenging circumstances in your lives. In those difficult and sometimes heartwrenching situations, I always find that God is there. He is with us. He is a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). This year I have seen “growth” through broken marriages that now have fresh hope, through people finding perseverance and even joy amidst long-term trials, and I have been inspired with your faith in Christ when dealing with loss and grief.

Side By Side

In December 2019, our first “Side by Side” ministry training participants completed their final course. Over three semesters, these individuals completed the following courses: How People Change, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands and Side by Side. Each course utilized the gospel-centered material from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF). These Side by Side graduates, called “helpers,” will be paired with others in our congregation who are going through difficult times. I am excited to see how the Lord will continue to grow this initiative, and more importantly, how he will help us continue to grow in caring for one another in the years to come.

G.R.A.C.E. Certification

Also in December 2019, College Church was formally granted our Child Safeguarding Certification from G.R.A.C.E. (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment). As a result of G.R.A.C.E.’s input and guidance, we have updated our protection policy, and we’re in the process of rolling out those changes in our children’s, youth and STARS ministries. I’m thankful for our church’s growth in understanding the nature of abuse and how to prevent it. May this growth continue in the coming year.

Deaconesses

You can read about the deaconesses’ work in Gail Pflederer’s report, but as the pastoral liaison to this group, I want to say publicly that they are amazing. The amount of practical care, mercy and service that they provide for the church is staggering. The next time you see one of our deaconesses, please thank them for their Christ-like service.

Support Groups

This year I saw growth in both of our support groups, Grief Share and Grace Mental Health groups. For Grief Share, Laurie Costley and her team grew in their ability to minister God’s Word to those who were dealing with grief and loss. Our Grace Groups grew through adversity, as their leader, Bob Barger, moved midway through the year. The other leaders stepped up and are continuing to meet the needs of those struggling with mental illness, along with their families. Much thanks to Bob and others for initiating this ministry. I pray that it will continue to grow and flourish in its next generation of leadership.

Pastoral Residency

This year the Lord continued to grow and bless the pastoral residency training program. Firstyear residents Mike Solis (working with Pastor Stringer) and Michael Walker (working with Pastor Fallon) have been a wonderful addition to the staff this year. One of the biggest challenges to this program is saying goodbye. We said goodbye to George Bednar earlier this year as he took a position in South Carolina, and we’ll need to say goodbye to Erick Solomon and Jacob Warren in the months ahead. We have seen tremendous growth in these men’s lives and in their pastoral gifts these past two years, and we will miss them!

Prayer

Over the past year, we’ve grown in prayer as a church. The multiple all-church Sunday evening prayer meetings have been sweet times of fellowship with the Lord and with one another. Our weekly prayer meetings on Monday morning, Wednesday evening and Friday noon have faithfully continued. The new Sunday 8 a.m. prayer meeting has been a personal blessing to me, and I look forward to that time every week. Currently, I am working on doctoral studies on this very topic—how we as a Word-centered church can continue to make prayer an integral part of our DNA. With that in mind, how might the Lord be calling you to grow in prayer this year?

“In those difficult and sometimes heart-wrenching situations, I always find that God is there. He is with us. Eric Channing, pastor of congregational care and family ministries”

There’s much more I could say about this past year of ministry, but for now, I will simply say thank you. Thank you for caring for each other with the love of Christ. Thank you for admitting your need and seeking help. Thank you for pointing me to Jesus. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the year ahead.