December 9th Update
Monday, December 9, 2024
Dear Sierra Vista Church,
Pastor Rick Lemberg will retire on December 31, 2024. He will continue to preach for the first two weeks of January but will not perform other pastoral duties during that time. A celebration is planned for the afternoon of Saturday, January 11, 2025, to show our gratitude for the many years of service and ministry Rick (and Kathy) have given to this church.
Starting on January 15, 2025, there will be a formal separation between Sierra Vista and Rick and Kathy. This is a standard practice when a long-time pastor retires and is encouraged by ECO. Though a formal separation can be emotional and difficult, it allows the church to adjust to change and a new pastor a chance to get to know our community and begin the work God is calling him or her to do at our church. This decision was made with the best interests of the church at heart and in no way implies that Rick and Kathy are no longer loved by our church community, or that they no longer care for us. In fact, we encourage personal friends of the Lembergs to continue to reach out to them to offer company and support, as the transition into retirement is a major change in their lives.
While Session had not originally planned on an interim period between Rick’s time in ministry here and our next pastor beginning theirs, the question was revisited, and we decided that some form of interim period would be best for the church. This interim period will begin January 1, 2025. It will continue until the Pastor Nominating Committee brings forward a candidate, that person is voted on by the congregation as the next pastor, and that person starts working for Sierra Vista.
Jason Meyer has agreed to fill the role of pastor during the interim time. Starting in January, Jason will find himself with a much fuller plate than usual: he will continue to work on the tasks he is currently doing, take on those that Rick is currently responsible for, and also play a significant part in filling in for Mary while she is on maternity leave. We are asking everyone to understand how much Jason has agreed to take on for this church. During this interim period, we need to extend grace to Jason as he cannot reasonably be expected to perform so many jobs at 100%. We have asked him to prioritize tasks the best he can and delegate what he can, and we are working with Jason to find creative ways to support him. We’re also calling on our congregation to be extra generous with your time and gifts: we’d encourage you to find ways to contribute to the life of this church, our ministries, and our day-to-day operations.
We are grateful for the opportunity to serve this congregation, and we trust that God is leading our church through this time of transition. Though change (especially significant change) can come with various feelings, scripture calls us to cast our anxieties onto the Lord (1 Peter 5.17). We’re looking forward to continuing to see the work that God is doing in the lives of individuals, our corporate life, and our larger community during this interim period.
Session, Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church