Announcement
9.20.26 Sermon
FAQs with the Elders
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Transition FAQs
You may have heard of Greg accepting a new position at New Life as an Associate Teaching and Care Pastor. Below we answer some of the more frequently asked questions you may be asking.
First, a transition is inevitable. At some point, it has to happen. In many circumstances, people wait until an unhealthy dynamic of life forces it. So, one answer is that New Life is in a fantastic place, leadership is healthy. Another answer is that it is time. After 29 years, I feel God’s nudging that New Life will thrive in this transition. John is ready, I am ready, and the elders support this. Finally, I will be 60 and two of our grandchildren will be 8 and 9 when this happens. If we wait until I can retire, they will be teenagers and this season to influence their lives will be gone.
We planned for a year between this announcement and its implementation so that the church does not have to navigate a quick change. This whole process has been prayerfully thought out and planned. We are leading it with intention. So, throughout the year ministry will continue with an awareness that this is coming. You’ll hear about it from time to time. It won’t be a secret. The whole congregation can be and will be part of the conversation.
John is co-lead pastor of New Life right now. When Greg steps down from that role on September 30, 2027, John will be the solo Lead Pastor of New Life. In that role, he and Angel will experience the weight of leadership in a more focused manner, so our support, prayers, and encouragement for him will be even that much more needed.
As an associate pastor at New Life, Greg will not automatically be part of these groups. Additionally, being in Colorado through the summer does not lend to Greg being able to serve in these capacities well.
Greg brought up the idea of stepping down as co-lead pastor when he turned 60 (in October 2027) to the elders over a year ago. It was clear he was not retiring but desiring to serve in vocational ministry in Tucson where he could spend the summers in Colorado. He would not work at another church. However, he was open to another position at New Life or another parachurch ministry in Tucson. The elders processed this together with John and thought the ideal was trying to keep Greg at New Life. We offered him the Teaching and Care position and were thankful that he was excited to accept. From that point, the elders prayed and sought counsel to plan how this would unfold.
There is a both/and dynamic to this answer. We will honor Greg as he transitions from Co-Lead Pastor to Teaching and Care Pastor. We also plan to honor Greg when he eventually retires. It would be appropriate for you to do the same in any way God encourages you to do so.
The final two Sundays of September, 2027 we will do two things:
- Sept 19: Look backward to give thanks for God’s faithfulness and providential direction of New Life.
- Sept 26: Look forward to give thanks for the confidence we have in God using New Life to transform the world through the gospel in the future.
Then we will send Greg on a final sabbatical, to give both him and New Life the opportunity to reset as he and us settle into new roles for all of us.
Greg’s primary roles will be in preaching/teaching, pastoral care, remaining active in the city church, and missions/outreach. Many in the congregation who interact with Greg primarily through sermons and pastoral care may not notice any difference. Outside of the summer, Greg’s new role will look the same as it did before.
The biggest change is that in the lead pastor’s role of leading staff and the elders, John will now function alone in the senior pastor capacity. We are a very collaborative team in both arenas, so John will not be alone. But the weight of leadership will fall on him.
Greg and John are here and available, if you have personal questions of them, please email them at GregL@newlifetucson.com or JohnB@newlifetucson.com respectively. Additionally, you can always ask our elders a question at Elders1@newlifetucson.com. You will also receive updates as the year unfolds.