Hello Graceland Family! It is a pleasure to speak to you this morning. My name is Jon Pearce, and I am blessed and honored to be considered for the role as an Elder at Graceland Church.
Michele and I have been married for 30 years. We met at a community group at Graceland back in 1991, and our formative years of ministry began here. We have been blessed with three beautiful children. Jonathan, who is 26 and married to Kye Jenkins, Maddie, who is 23 and married to Nathan Wood, and Joseph, who is 17 and a junior at Christian Academy of Indiana.
I have been asked to become an Elder, and it has become my desire. I have served as Congregational Care Pastor at Graceland for nearly nine years now, and my love for Christ and His church has only deepened during this time. I am grateful for the leadership of Graceland and the way the Elders lead.
I understand that being an Elder, according to I Timothy 3:1-7, will involve teaching, shepherding, and showing hospitality, and not being greedy or quarrelsome. It also requires that my lifestyle should be above reproach. I know that none of this can be done without having a teachable spirit and a humble dependence upon God. My hope is that I will continue to be dependent and teachable.
When Michele and I returned to Graceland after ministering elsewhere, it was like coming home. Some of the faces have changed, but the mission remained the same. We are blessed to be a part, and we love this congregation and can feel the love in return.
It is a pleasure serving Graceland Church as a pastor, and it is also a pleasure being part of the body of Christ here. I feel that I have matured in my faith here, as have my wife and children. We are blessed to serve such a vibrant church body. Thank you for your love and encouragement.
Sincerely, Jon Pearce