The Days of Nik, Carla, Jaxen & Zane: Dedication and Installation

~ Sunday, June 26 ~

I tried taking some pictures before church…but Zane decided he was not having it!

Sunday, June 26, was a big day for us.

We had Zane dedicated and Nik was officially installed as the new Lead Pastor at New Life Church!

Rev. Kevin Dunlop (the Upstate NY District Superintendent) came to our church

and graciously agreed to dedicate Zane on the same day as he was doing Nik’s installation.

He called the whole family up on stage...

…and Jaxen did pretty good…he waved at his new friends...

touched some equipment, walked around and even picked his nose! Haha!

It was a sweet time as we dedicated Zane to the Lord.

There are many things we want to teach and instill in our boys - but the most important

is that we want them to love the Lord with all their heart.

We want to be an example of that in their life and we want to pray over them

as they grow, that they will have a relationship with the Lord.

During the dedication, we all laid hands on Zane and prayed those things.

Kevin asked the church if they would help us in that way

and they whole-heartily agreed!

We are so thankful to God for the gift he has given us and entrusted to us, in Zane!

Later in the service, Kevin called Nik up to officially install him as the new Lead Pastor!

Nik had to read a Pastor’s Covenant...

In response to the gracious call of God, and in gratitude for the confidence you have expressed in me, I accept the role of pastoral leadership.

I pledge to covenant with you to make ours a living, efficient church:

… a church in which sermon and sacrament are based strongly on the Word and vitalized with the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit;

… a church with the expectation of conversions;

… a church where the tempted are surrounded with victory;

… a church where the redeemed are enabled to see their larger need of Christ in the cleansing fullness of the Holy Spirit;

… a church where the hope of God is given to the afflicted;

… a church where Christian women and men, girls and boys, begin even on earth to be an authentic Christian community marked by love for Christ, each other and the world;

… a church which constantly witnesses to the whole world with sacrifice in its heart and love in its purpose.

I pledge to you a stewardship of my responsibilities as pastor:

… to live before you with integrity and Christian simplicity;

… to responsibly administer the affairs of the church in consultation and cooperation with the church board, the church staff, and the people in the congregation as we carry out “the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

… to lead you in worship as a worshiping leader, developing a careful regimen of study, prayer, reflection and preparation for the purposes of personal growth and ministry;

… to encourage you, comfort you, instruct and challenge you, by the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments;

… to seek always, and in all appropriate ways, to expand the borders of the Kingdom of God, cooperating with the District and the Global Church of the Nazarene in fulfilling a world-wide mission;

… to live responsibly in my roles as husband and father, giving to my family the care and love due them as gifts of God to me;

… to listen carefully to you, care deeply for you, work closely with you, and pray daily for you, that we may “grow up in all things unto Him, who is the Head - Christ.”

… to be a servant-leader, after the example of Christ.