This past weekend, Emily and I hit the road with Mark and Kem Meyer for a getaway to Aurora, Illinois. Aurora, of course, was made famous by the Wayne’s World SNL sketch. It also happens to be the home of Orchard Valley Community Church. The Morgans and the Meyers had an incredible time hanging out with Scott Hodge, Orchard’s lead pastor, and his wife, Amanda. They fed us well. And, they let us check out a Sunday morning service at The Orchard. It was a great time.
Scott has an interesting story to share. He became the lead pastor a couple of years ago after his dad, Larry, suddenly passed away. Larry had pastored the church for 27 years. Scott and his dad were just a couple of year’s into a journey to transition the ministry so that it was more focused on outreach–reaching the unchurched. In the last couple of years, Scott has demonstrated incredible leadership giftedness. He led well in a tragic time for the church body and for Scott himself. He continued to implement the vision for transition that Larry had dreamed and prayed about. And, now, the church is healthier than it has ever been.
If you are pastoring a small church with a big vision, Scott’s story should give you hope. You would do well to follow his blog and learn from his experiences. In addition to learning a thing or two that might help you reach more people for Jesus, don’t be surprised if you also get a hankering for a cup of Starbucks coffee. Scott has a small coffee fetish.
Thanks, Scott, for a great weekend!