It has been a few months since the last time that I have written to all of you. It is always a blessing anytime I get the opportunity to share with the entire Quest community. Life has many transitions in it. Some are natural, like moving up to high school and college. Others, like marriage and kids, come later and then there are always the unexpected transitions. As I sit here writing this, I do so with a heavier heart than usual. It is with great sadness that I tell you that I will be stepping away from Quest as the Director of Student Ministries. It’s natural for people to come up with a number of different reasons as to why someone might step down, but I am here to dispel any rumors and give you the truth straight up!
I have absolutely loved my time at Quest and could not have asked for a better place to begin a ministry. The relationships built with the adults and students, the events and countless number of memories have been amazing. However, after four years of being in part-time ministry while also coaching all year long, it has become too much back and forth and running around to be reasonable. I have a great heart for both ministry and coaching, but it is time to condense my work life into one full time job instead of 3-4 part time jobs. While this has not been an easy decision, after much prayer and thinking, Katie and I knew this was a necessary move.
Ultimately, while I have a heart for Christ and for helping people (especially students), I felt a call to pursue a career outside of full-time ministry. While I am not completely discounting a future in ministry, I felt as though it was best for Katie and me if I expanded my horizons beyond ministry for a time. While it was on our hearts to do what was best for us, I also wanted to put Quest and The Road (our student ministry) in the best possible position in order to be successful. With that being said, I will be staying on through the end of the calendar year unless an unexpected opportunity presents itself before then. It is my desire to help the next person transition in smoothly as I transition out. I know there will still be many questions and some of you may be surprised, disappointed or even saddened by the news, I hope that you will come to me with any questions that you may have or anything further that you want to know.
Jake