New names, new roles

Farewells and introductions have been the order of the day in the General Church offices this summer as we’ve said good-bye to the whole of our communication team (see the June/July issue of Momentum) and hello to their replacements. We’ve also welcomed Chris Sharp, as she transitioned from Pequea BIC Church into a new position with BIC World Missions. And we join the Canadian Conference in greeting John Cressman upon his return to Canada from Pennsylvania to assume a newly created position with the conference. Here’s a little about the five and their work on behalf of the mission and future vitality of all our churches.

Nate Bridi knows exactly what the weather is like outside. That’s because he rides his bicycle to his new job as the web developer/graphic designer on the communications team. His aerobic commute takes him past Messiah College, from which he is a 2007 graduate with a degree in studio art. In the coming months, Nate will balance his time between preparing for his upcoming marriage in October and continuing to further the General Church’s publications and web presence. The latter of these will hardly seem like work for Nate, however, who says that he “enjoys art, and likes making it even more!”

After almost ten years in a church planting ministry in York, Pa., John Cressman and his family have returned to Canada where he’ll assume the position of ministry and development coach with the Canadian Conference. His pastoral experience, as well as his master’s degree with an emphasis on church planting, growth, and leadership from Fuller Seminary will serve him and our churches well as he helps to equip and encourage pastors and churches toward congregational health and to strategically advance multiplication efforts within churches.

A recent graduate of the Harrisburg Area Community College’s Lancaster campus, Jeremy Delinger has joined the communications team as our technical arts specialist. With a strong background in web development, video production, and computer systems, Jeremy brings knowledge, proficiency, fresh ideas to the team, and a heart for ministry to the team. In addition to his half-time position in the General Church offices, he will continue on his half-time tech position with Pequea BIC in Lancaster. In describing himself, Jeremy says that he has “a desire to learn, and a passion to serve.”

Kristine Frey moved all the way from her hometown in Sarasota, Florida, to attend Messiah College, but she did not make it far from her alma mater after graduating this past spring with a degree in English. Reflecting on the challenge of following Dulcimer Brubaker, whose work as editor of the church’s magazine won awards from the Evangelical Press Association, Kristine states that she looks to “writing with vitality, speaking with compassion, interacting with graciousness, learning with humility, and living by faith.” Kristine and her husband of two months, Ryan, attend the Millersville (Pa.) BIC Church.

Chris Sharp renewed her passion for unreached people through the short-term missions trips in which she participated during her time as senior associate pastor at Pequea BIC Church. Now she’ll have the opportunity to extend that passion as director of missional development with BIC World Missions, a position she assumed in early June.

According to Chris, her job is all about making connections—between BIC World Missions and leadership teams in regional conferences and local congregations, and ultimately, between North American congregations and BIC ministries, conferences, and churches world wide. Her immediate goal is to facilitate formation of Global Impact teams by mid-spring 2008 in two regional conferences in addition to the pilot team already in place in the Atlantic Conference. Longer term, Chris looks forward to the day when there is a Global Impact team in every BIC church, “raising awareness, raising concern, and ultimately raising up people to make an impact for global missions.”

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