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Dear Parish Family,
I write to share with you that Sunday, August 15, will be Zac Hicks’ last Sunday at the Advent. He has decided that his work at the Advent is complete, and we naturally receive this news with mixed emotions.
We give thanks for Zac and his ministry: his five years at the Advent, the gifts he brought to the service of God, and the impact that he and his family have had on our shared life together. There is gratitude, thanksgiving, and excitement in joining him in prayer as he discerns where and how God will lead going forward. There is sadness also. We will miss his presence in our daily life together. He is clear of this next step, to step away from this ministry and to discern his next, and there is the opportunity to prayerfully support him in this.
During Zac’s recent sabbatical, Wes Sharp ably stepped in to lead our band, and he will temporarily resume this role on August 22. In God’s gracious provision he will continue that ministry as we search for someone to fill that role. We give thanks for God’s timing, the gifts given to our congregation and staff, and the ways in which God provides and guides us forward together.
Zac and Abby will remain in Birmingham as they discern what is next. Following the 11:15 service on August 15, there will be a reception for Zac, Abby, and their family. I hope you will be able to join us in giving thanks for them.
In appreciation for Zac, we will be offering him a monetary gift as an expression of our love and gratitude. The Advent is happy to serve as a conduit for the collection of individual gifts so they can be presented to Zac as a single check along with a list of donors.
If you would like to participate, please make your check payable to Cathedral Church of the Advent and write “Hicks Gift” on the memo line. You may mail a check, bring it by our office, or place it in the collection plate this Sunday. You may also make a gift by going to AdventBirmingham.org/Give, clicking on the “Give” button below the Online option. (For online gifts, choose “Hicks Gift” from the drop-down box in tithe.ly, as the Give To option.) We would like to receive all gifts by Thursday, August 12. Please be aware that these contributions cannot be treated as donations to the Advent and will not be included on your contribution statements for the Advent.
The Lord be with you,
Craig