A Letter from Pastor Erik and the elders

Dear Lake Baldwin Church Family,

For the past two and a half years, Erik has served LBC as our Associate Pastor. Erik and Becca have been valued members of our community. Erik has tirelessly invested in all of us through his preaching and leadership given to our small groups, outreaches, visitors, families, and so much more. Becca has used her talents to serve our junior volunteers and worship team. Today, it is bittersweet to share with you that Erik has accepted a call to another church. Below, Erik shares his heart and journey in his own words.
 

           Over the past two and a half years it has been a privilege to serve you and share life with you all. From the moment our family arrived at LBC we have experienced the warmth and welcome of so many of you. You opened your hearts and homes to us and we are so grateful for having had the blessing to know so many of you. LBC has been a sweet community and you all have been a joy for our family to know and be known by. Thank you. 

It’s with this in view that I write with a mixture of emotions to share with you all that I have accepted a pastoral call to serve a church in North Carolina, beginning in early August. Becca and I both feel a strong sense of calling and peace about this transition. At the same time, we have felt deeply the cost and grief of this move. In particular we grieve the relationships we have enjoyed in Orlando and especially here at LBC. We’ve held with heavy hearts the amount of transition you all have endured as a church and yet trust that God has good plans for our family and for you. 

Personally, serving as one of your pastors has been a great joy and privilege. It has been an honor to walk through the celebrations and griefs of life with so many of you. I have deeply enjoyed opening up God’s word together, praying, lamenting, praising and worshiping with you all. I could share so many stories of how I have seen the gospel at work in so many of you all. It has been a gift to fall more in love with Jesus with you. Thank you for the ways so many of you have prayed with me, shared life with me, been a parent with me, helped me repent, laughed with me and cried with me. I will cherish all these friendships.

It has been an honor to be part of your church family. I know relationships change when you’re no longer at the same church or in the same city, but I really hope to continue our friendships from LBC into our next season of life and ministry. 

Through the end of July I will continue my role here at LBC to transition thoughtfully and to hand off the baton well. While we are still here in Orlando we would love to make as much of our time as we can and connect with you before we leave. Our family will truly miss you all and the friendships Christ gave us here. They have been such a gift.

As we prepare for this transition, I will continue to pray for you all that “grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” will grow in your hearts. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,” there’s so much beauty in him.  

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

It has been a privilege serving you all. Thank you.

The Rome family’s transition is a real loss because of what their family has meant to our community, and it is sad to see them go. Yet, it is also hopeful because of the exciting journey ahead of them. Our God is a personal God who calls us by name! We invite you to consider sharing with them what they have meant to you. 

Sincerely,

Erik, Becca, and the Elders