JAY OAKES
turning ideas into words.
A Letter to Citipoint Church.11/2/2016 Just over 6 years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting a man who was stepping into the role of Lead Pastor at the church I was attending and serving in. At the time, I didn’t know what to expect of him. My wife knew him from her teenage years, as she had attended his youth ministry, and highly respected him as a leader. She knew who he was, some of his values and that he desired to serve Jesus above anything else in the world. I was told by her, that Mike had a heart for teenagers. She was so excited about that, because she knew what his role in youth ministry had been, and she knew his heart was to see the Church grow starting with kids. It was exciting to think that our Lead Pastor would have a heart that was sold out for the youth and the kids of the Church. It was absolutely true.
Beyond his support of kids and youth ministry, he is incredibly supportive of his staff. Just over 4 years ago, I was honored by the invitation to step onto his team in a vocational role as the Youth and Media Pastor of Citipoint Church. Over the course of time, I have been challenged, encouraged, loved, cared for, accepted, allowed to fail, and, because of that, have been able to succeed in areas I never thought would be possible. I have been taught and guided in many areas of my life. As Pastor Appreciation Month of 2016 came to a close 2 days ago, I have nothing short of full appreciation, on a daily basis, for the man that I call my Pastor, my boss and my friend. To my family within Citipoint Church, you have a Lead Pastor who loves you. There is nothing but genuine care and thankfulness that Mike has for the people he leads. He prays for you, he fights for you, he tries for you, he makes sacrifices for you, he cries for you, he celebrates with you and he believes in you. Your pastor cares for you and he cares about me. He’s an example of what it means to be on Mission for THE CHURCH, not just the church he leads. I serve a God who is loving, caring and full of grace. I serve a Pastor that strives to exemplify those same positive character traits that are embraced by our Creator. I am so thankful for the man that God has given me as a mentor, in my life and in ministry. I don’t take it lightly that I have been able to sit next to him for countless conversations, car rides, meetings and events. Mike, thank you for your time, your prayers and your investment into me. -Jay Oakes
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