Preparing People to Respond to God

2024 in Review

For me (Jim), the main theme of 2024 was “Wow, the world is BIG!” I’ll share two quick figures to illustrate that before getting to our experiences in 2024.

1) In 2024 I attempted to learn or gain some proficiency in four languages; Koine Greek, Spanish, French and Krio. I purchased apps and flashcards and spent hours trying learn or re-learn each of these languages. It totally backfired and now they are all mixed up in my mind. You’ll read more about that below.

2) This year our family traveled over 6,500 miles together to places like Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Meadville (PA) and Wadsworth (OH). In addition, I traveled another 24,000 miles to places like Tennessee, France and Sierra Leone (West Africa). That’s over 30,000 miles (not including normal, day to day travel). For reference, the circumference of the Earth is less than 25,000 miles. That’s a trip around the Earth, and 20% of the way around a second time.

Family

Our family shared a lot of great experiences in 2024. We attended a Phillies game and an Eagles practice together. We took family trips to Carolina Beach (NC), Meadville (PA), and Wadsworth (OH).

Aiden was baptized in April. He graduated from Jr. High in June and started High School in August. Kendra and I took him to an Eagles game in October, which he loved. He’s become much more independent this year. He rode his bike all over town this summer and now rides a city bus home from school each day. We’re proud of how responsible he’s become.

Emma had a speaking role in her elementary school play earlier this year. She’s currently in another play which opens up early in 2025. She has three dance numbers. Emma loves to go to “fancy” coffee shops and also got her first cell phone this year.

Josiah gave his life to Jesus in January and really wants to be baptized (we’re making him wait until he’s older). He graduated pre-school in May and started Kindergarten in August. He and Emma are at the same school. He’s a great reader and was “Student of the Month” in October. He’s also pretty funny.

The boys currently share a bedroom, so in February we moved them to our finished basement. It’s the largest room in our house and they have a lot more space down there.

Finally, Kendra started a new job in September. She provides childcare for a family in Cherry Hill, NJ. She continues to serve as the Children’s Ministry Director at our church as well. In March we got to see comedian Nate Bargatze at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.

Meadville Alliance Church, where Kendra and I met.

Sabbatical

This year our church provided me (Jim) with a sabbatical. This is my second sabbatical in nearly 17 years of pastoring True Vine. For me, a sabbatical is not an extended vacation, but a time of dedicated personal and professional development. During my two months of sabbatical, I did the following:
- Completed 100 Spanish lessons.
- Took 20+ Koine Greek lessons and worked through several hundred Greek flashcards.
- An extensive study on what causes people to change. This study included reading a few books, listening to a few podcasts, and interviewing six other pastors on this topic.
- A lot of reading and listening on the topic of emotionally healthy leadership.
- I read several other books to help me look at current cultural issues from a Biblical perspective.
- A trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico with Kendra for fun and to immerse myself in Spanish for a few days. We spent Groundhogs day at the beach!
- A trip to Fair Haven Retreat Center in Tennessee to rest, read, hike, and visit with a counselor.

International Travel

As you may have noticed, we traveled a lot in 2024. In fact, this is the most that I’ve ever traveled in a single year.

In June I traveled to southern France to visit former staff members from our church, Kris and Brigi Cook, who are planting a new church in Bordeaux. It was so helpful to get to see for myself the neighborhood that they live in and the city that they call home. I was so encouraged by their work! They are doing a great job! I also found that my high school French came back very easily!

In November I traveled to Sierra Leone, in west Africa, where there is a group of 23 churches that are interested in joining the Alliance World Fellowship. My job was to provide some theological training for the leaders of the churches. All of the teaching was translated into Krio. Everyone in Sierra Leone was so welcoming and I really enjoyed my time there. I was also inspired by their devotion and the purity of their pursuit of God.

Pastors and teachers from The Lord’s Mission Church in Sierra Leone.

True Vine Church Community

As always, a lot took place at True Vine this year. Here are four highlights:

1) In April we had over 60 people participate in a church retreat. Everyone loves these retreats; they are a great way to build community. The Retreat Planning Team did a great job planning this event while I was away on sabbatical.

2) In the spring we completed a major building project and installed a brand-new heating/cooling system in the church. The total cost for this project was $50,000. We’ve been discussing this project for a very long time and I’m glad to have it completed finally. I’m also grateful for all of the people who gave sacrificially and generously to help us achieve this goal.

3) In October we celebrated True Vine’s 15th Anniversary with a block party. We shut down the street in front of the church and hosted an event for our entire community. About 200 people showed up. We served food, played games, and provided giveaways. It was a great way to connect with our neighbors.

4) Also in October, we welcomed a small Spanish-speaking congregation to become part of True Vine. This Spanish-speaking expression of True Vine is called “Vid Verdadera” (“True Vine” in Spanish). We’ve hired their pastor and are currently taking all of their members through our membership process. This group of 20 people meets at 2pm on Sundays and has been fully incorporated into True Vine. So far this seems to be a great partnership that will help us connect with our community. This is why I need to learn Spanish!