Dear Spring of Life Church Family,

This morning in worship, Dan Stapleton, the chair of our Staff Parish Relations committee shared an important announcement. In United Methodist Churches every year there is a Sunday called Announcement Sunday.  Announcement Sunday is the culmination of several months of discernment for clergy appointments by the pastors, Staff-parish committees, and the Bishop and their Cabinet. On this Sunday congregations are informed of the year's upcoming clergy appointment. Pastoral appointments are given one year at a time in the UMC -- the year goes from July to June.

This year Dan Stapleton shared that after 3 years as our Lead Pastor, effective July 1, Rev. Esther Rodriguez will be moving on to a different appointment and not serving as the Lead Pastor at Spring of Life. Pastor Esther shared more about this in her sermon and how God has called her to service outside the local church-- you can check out the video on our website.  Her last Sunday with us will be Sunday, May 30. In the coming weeks we will share with you our plans to celebrate Pastor Esther's ministry these past 3 years.

Our new Lead Pastor starting July 1 will be Rev. Mike Luzinski. Pastor Mike first felt a call to serve God in college and pursued that call by working at a United Methodist camp and United Methodist Churches.  After a year of discernment, he attended seminary with his wife Rev. Madeline Luzinski and they were married shortly after graduation. He was appointed to Maitland, and Madeline to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, where they have served since 2016.  While Madeline will remain in her role at the Children’s Home, they both now excitedly join the Spring of Life community.  

We will share with you a video message from Pastor Mike on this Friday's e-news. So if you aren't signed up for that we invite you to do hereso as you won't want to miss out on that special message. We will also keep you posted the next few weeks about how you can help us welcome the Luzinskis.

Please be in prayer for Pastor Esther, the Luzinskis and our church in these weeks of transition.