Greetings Glen Mar,

I hope you had a great Fourth of July and were able to spend some time with family, friends, and loved ones.

This week, we are celebrating that Pastor Du Young Lee and his family have officially joined the Glen Mar family. Pastor Lee began his appointment this past week and preached on Sunday. If you haven’t had a chance to hear his message yet, I encourage you to go back and listen online. It’s a great opportunity to get to know him and hear a little of his story.

As we welcome Pastor Lee, I’d also ask you to help us live out one of our core values: hospitality. One of the easiest ways you can do that is by wearing your nametag over the next several weeks. I remember how helpful that was for me when I arrived last year, and I’d love for Pastor Lee to experience that same welcome from all of us.

With Pastor Lee arriving, I’ve also been reflecting on the fact that my first year as your Lead Pastor has ended. It’s hard to believe how quickly the year has gone by. It has been a joy getting to know you, worshiping with you, serving alongside you, and seeing the many ways God is at work through this church.

One of the more recent highlights for me was serving on the Carolina Rebuilding Ministries (CRM) mission trip a few weeks ago. I had met Jason Duvall, the CEO of CRM, and Mike Williams, their COO, last year when they came to Maryland to thank Glen Mar for our partnership, and they seemed like great guys who cared deeply about their ministry. But getting to spend the week with them and see their work firsthand gave me an even greater appreciation for what God is doing through CRM.

Sure, they’re repairing homes, but they’re doing much more than that. They’re building relationships, caring for their neighbors, and sharing the love of Christ in practical ways every single day. It reminded me again of how grateful I am that Glen Mar is part of that ministry.

As I look back on this first year, one thing has become clear to me that I am grateful for: Glen Mar is a church that welcomes people well, and a church that serves well. I’ve seen that throughout this past year, and I hope we never lose either of those things.

Thank you for making this first year such a meaningful one for my family and me. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for Glen Mar in the year ahead.

Have a blessed week.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris