In case you aren’t aware, we have been searching for a new senior pastor for the last few months. The search committee has been very busy, reviewing 140 resumes, listening to countless sermons and meeting with candidates. Last week, they recommended Doug Swink to our church board who unanimously voted to recommend him as the next senior pastor for Lighthouse on 11th.
What happens now? Well, Doug and family will be joining us on Sunday, February 15th and Doug will be speaking during both services. After meeting him and hearing him speak, there will be a vote to call him as our senior pastor. We are encouraging EVERYONE to make an effort to come on Sunday and vote. If you are unable to be with us, you can still vote absentee by stopping by the church office.
So now for the stuff everyone wants to know: Who is Doug Swink?
Well, Doug Swink and his wife Shawn have been married for 24 years. They have 3 daughters – Madie (20) is a junior at Spring Arbor University, Alex (17) is a high school senior, and Tori (15) is a high school sophomore. Doug enjoys most sports and played baseball in high school and college. He is also an avid runner having participated in the River Bank 25K in Grand Rapids twice and the Chicago Marathon once. He also enjoys grilling, which is why he runs – so he can eat what he wants.
Doug also enjoys developing relationships and helping people understand who God is and His intense love for them. He finds joy in missional opportunities, local and international, and seeing people serve God and seeing how God blows up their lives and their perspective of the rest of the world.
He grew up in a home that did not initially follow Jesus. His dad was an alcoholic and his parents were very close to divorce when an old army buddy of his dad’s invited the family to church. After going to church “one time” and God grabbed his dad’s heart and his mom’s and ultimately the entire family. Doug first accepted Jesus in children’s church, but didn’t really understand what it meant until his senior year of high school.
During summer camp his senior year of high school, he was sitting in the chapel by himself waiting for service to start (which was out of the ordinary as he is a very social person), when all of a sudden a voice spoke to him. The voice was everything but audible (which he believes is God’s voice) that said to Doug, “Do you love me?” after responding yes, God immediately pointed out a habitual sin that Doug struggled with. After confessing and repenting, God asked him, “Will you serve Me?”. He answered unhesitatingly that he would and God said, ” I want you to go into ministry.” It was an honest conversation between God and Doug, no “service” going on, no speaker giving an altar call, no “Just as I am” in the background. Just God convicting, redeeming and then calling.
Doug is passionate about proclaiming the Word of the Lord – being God’s instrument to proclaim His good news and challenging the body of Christ to live up to the standard He has set in order to reach a lost and dying world. He is also passionate about giving and leading God-given vision for God’s body and mentoring men and leaders. He is an energetic, expository, application oriented speaker. Bathed in prayer, seeking God’s direction, he aims for information, growth and encouragement. (Do you want to hear a sample or 4? Check out these links: Jesus Teaches, The Wonders of the World of Parenting, Battlefield of Sacrifices, Perspective)
Doug is excited about where the direction that Lighthouse is going. He thinks after hearing the story of Lighthouse’s journey that God is getting ready to some great things and he always wants to be a part of the party that God is throwing.
We are very excited that God has brought Doug Swink and his family to Lighthouse. If you have questions that weren’t answered here, please let us know! And make plans to come on Sunday, February 15th to hear him speak and get the chance to vote him as our new senior pastor.
We also want to say a very special thank you to the search team (and their familes)! They gave up hundreds of hours as they worked to narrow it down to Doug. THANK YOU ALL!!
lighthouseon11th.wordpress.com 