Two weeks ago we had the joy of introducing Craig Smith as KingsWay’s new business manager. Craig’s character, giftings, and experience have positioned him to serve us in significant ways in the coming years and we couldn’t be more excited about God’s provision of him for our staff.
Craig’s background includes several years as a counter intelligence special agent (spy catcher), as well as over a decade in public service in the VA state government. He’s served under 2 governors and a member of the House of Delegates in a variety of crucial roles.
In case you missed his remarks Sunday, or would simply enjoy reflecting on God’s goodness to us through the gifts he provides, we’re including them here…
Thank you Gene, Matthew, Doug and Aaron for your faith in me and your leadership through these changes.
Wow, I must admit I never for a minute expected to be standing here before you today. Accepting this position has been an answer to a prayer that my wife and I have been praying for at least two years.
We serve an amazing and awesome God … don’t we?
Here today on Partnership Sunday I get announced as the new business manager. It reminds me of our first day at Kingsway many years ago, back in the fall of 2002. It too was a Partnership Sunday. Your heart and passion for Christ as evidenced by your giving so impressed us. In that first visit we felt such a peace and excitement a
bout what God was doing here that we knew this was our home.
After choosing to become members here, God continued to use these Partnership Sundays in amazing ways. Ok, last year I probably wouldn’t have used amazing at this point. It was more of a prayerful wrestling with what God was calling us to do and the reality of our financial situation. On the eve of our first Partnership Sunday we had very little left in our bank account. Our youngest daughter had a serious bacterial infection that required two surgeries, numerous doctor and specialist visits, not to mention the medication.
While it makes no sense from a worldly perspective we both were convinced that God was at work and we were to trust him and step out in faith with our finances. So we wrote a check for all that we had trusting God to provide. The check we wrote…it never bounced. In fact within a week we had unforeseen income far beyond what we expected and more than enough to meet our future medical needs.
That call to give was not the only call God put on our hearts last year. I felt God calling me to a new role in the church and He opened the door for me to be able to step up and take over for Chris Edwards as the Community Group Leader of our group.
Now here we are today. When this new position was announced, I never for a minute thought that God was calling me to this position. Yet over the course of a week in my prayer time and through the prophetic words of others, I knew that God was calling me to pursue this new position.
Two years ago Justine and I began praying for God to open a new door for me for a job that could better provide for my family instead of me having to work two jobs. Serving, managing, and administering is where God has gifted me and where I have been serving. I have been serving a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the last 8 ½ years. The salary was far less than could support a family. So I have been working a second job as well. I worked in economic development finding clients for a firm that specialized in creative financial solutions for public and private agencies and businesses. God answered my prayer far beyond my wildest expectations with this new position.
My standing here today is just one piece in the exciting work that God is doing here at Kingsway. What a privilege it is to be able to serve as part of this team that God has put together. We live in uncertain times, but serve a God who is certain, who is faithful, and who is working in and through all of us to His glory. I cannot think of a more exciting place to be or a better group of people to serve than this amazing group that God has assembled here at Kingsway.
This year, one of the works I’ll be returning to is a favorite of mine, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. I would be of the understanding that fine literature shouldn’t be left for just the ladies to enjoy.
Whether high school or college, May and June mark a significant milestone for many families in the church. We prayed for all the graduates during our pastor’s meeting yesterday. King David’s words in Ps. 25 capture the essence of our desire for your experience of God during this season of transition.
