Thank you to our pastors

“Plant your roots in Christ and let Him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.”

– Colossians 2:7

To my family at First Gilbert,

I am writing this to you from my mom’s house in southern Utah and am thankful for being able to spend a few days with her, reflecting on memories of my dad, and enjoying the cool crisp temperatures.

Not only does October bring perfect weather, it's also the start of so many opportunities to serve God’s community through this church! Our Missions team has already started collecting donations to bless people on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have families coming to stay on our campus for Family Promise in November, and we are prepping for our biggest community event ever with Trunk or Treat. On Sunday, October 26 between services, we will hold a carnival-themed Ministry Fair that will highlight all of the wonderful ministries happening here – please plan to attend and maybe sign up to volunteer with a team if the holy spirit leads you.

As we enter this busy season, it was brought to my attention that October is Pastor Appreciation Month. What a great opportunity to take time to pause and acknowledge the amazing pastors we are blessed with here First United Methodist Church of Gilbert!

Pastor Adriana has been a beacon of light for all of us. In addition to delivering an amazing, relatable sermon, she has helped me personally with prayers and support for caregivers and anyone experiencing grief, guided us through a prayer walk, and leads an inspiring bible study every week. Recently she has been working closely with the preschool committee to continue this valuable ministry and even assumed the role of director. She also somehow found time to follow her dreams of starting her own non-profit to help others through Grace Outreach Center and has completed her Masters in Divinity. We can’t thank her enough for sharing her huge heart with all of us.

It's hard to believe that Pastor Kristin has only been with us for just over a year now. We are deeply grateful for her powerful messages each week and all that she has done here at First Gilbert. Her dedication and leadership has truly transformed our community—from rebuilding the website and launching our church app to ensuring every Sunday bulletin is ready and every corner of our grounds is cared for. Beyond the day-to-day tasks, Pastor Kristin has mentored me and has empowered others to live out God’s work and inspired all of us. I’m so thankful for her spiritual guidance as well as the management of our many church operations that sometimes goes unseen.

Now, I invite all of you to join me in appreciating our amazing pastors. I would encourage you to bring in a card and place in the basket in the activity center for the next two Sundays. Or if you can’t make it to church in person, send each of them an encouraging note via email or text.

Thank you for being a church that loves well. Let’s keep showing our pastors—and our community—what the love of Christ looks like in action.

Yours in Christ,

Michelle Butler
Administrative Council Chair