"How's it going over there?"

This question is what several people have asked me this week as I have begun this new adventure called being a solo pastor.

My easy answer is: very good.

So much is new, but everyone is being very nice. I know I am going to enjoy getting know my co-workers. Preaching, preaching, and more preaching is on the brain which = lots of excitement for me.

Of course starting any new job there is a huge learning curve at the beginning. You don't know where to find a stapler. You need to ask for basic church information such a directory of members, the schedule of when the mail comes, and you need to know how the office computer networking system works among many other things. Even more than this, you haven't had the chance to meet everyone that you would like to meet to really understand the larger picture of history and culture. I look forward to being in the place where I know more than I do now.

Yet, even in my place of being the "new one on the block," I am certain of a few things:

I feel strongly that Washington Plaza is the church and the community that I am to plant my life in long period of time. And, even though I don't know a lot of members well yet (come visit me soon and we'll change this), I know that I am going to like it here. (Do you hear Annie from the movie singing in the background?)

My experience thus far has been that when Washington Plaza people are together, so follows: lots of laughter, tons of food, and people who authentically want to relate to one another. I hope that all of these wonderful gifts continue to unfold in the near future.