This Weekend at Hudson...

The big announcement went out yesterday to the Hudson congregation. It's going out to the regular attenders there, but also everyone who ever attended there (outside of Woodbury Campus people). Here's what's coming in the mail:

ANNOUCEMENT: NEW HUDSON CAMPUS PASTOR HIRED, STARTS DECEMBER 7

We are very happy to announce that Keith Miraldi has joined the Five Oaks staff team as Hudson Campus Pastor and as Small Groups Director for both campuses. Keith and his family will be introduced at this weekend’s Hudson service with a dessert reception following in the theater foyer.

Keith is a Five Oaks member and he will be transitioning from a career in higher education. Most recently he worked at Northwestern College in institutional research and as executive assistant to the Provost. Keith is currently consulting with Bethany International’s College of Missions, helping them with marketing and program development. Before coming to Minnesota, Keith served as Administrative Dean for Graduate Programs and Distance Learning at Liberty University.

Keith is married to Katherine and they have two boys, Isaac (three) and Benjamin (four months). Katherine works remotely as a graphic designer for a regional arts and entertainment magazine in Central Virginia.  Keith is passionate about athletics.  He played baseball for Liberty University and when he wasn’t drafted into the majors, he turned to a possible career in golf, eventually becoming a golf club pro. Along the way he felt lead to enter seminary and began working for Liberty University, where he still teaches in their distance learning program.

The search team, which included three Hudson Campus members, unanimously and enthusiastically agreed that Keith is our man to lead Hudson and the small groups ministry for Five Oaks. Please come and help us welcome him and his family this Sunday (November 16) at the Hudson campus. The worship service begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Hudson 12 Theatres.

Hudson Mo

I happened to mention the momentum the Hudson campus is feeling these days in a conversation with one of our leaders at the Woodbury campus and his, "Really? I didn't realize that," told me I have to get the word out. Here it is: Things are going very well at the Hudson campus. There are new faces everywhere and a very positive spirit.

I know we need to do a better job of telling the story of what's happening there, but the time will come for that. We'll do a full-court press at a future time. For one thing, I'm waiting for the Campus Pastor to help out with that, and I'd like to coincide it with the unveiling of our strategy for future campuses. This will take a while, so, in the meantime, I'll keep trickling information out.

If you've never attended, try it. If you live close by, try it again. It's our first campus and we're learning new things every week. The First Impressions set-up on the theater lobby looks great, the kids areas (three theaters and the party room) are brightly decorated (see picture below) and the service in the theater is starting to fill full.

The greatest sign of mo? Transitioning to a new interim team without a hitch. I think knowing that it's an "indigenous" team they all know and that Brian will still be around, since it's his home campus, helps a lot. I think the new Campus Pastor will be walking into a very healthy, upbeat situation.