After a break from blogging, I am back. The move from Chicago to Phoenix kept me preoccupied and away from blogging for a while.
As of October 1 I am officially a staff member at Central Christian Church in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona. I will be leading the Financial Stewardship Ministry at Central and I could not be more excited about the opportunity. Central is a wonderful, thriving church that serves the East Valley of Phoenix. It is a church currently in two locations. The Mesa location is celebrating 50 years this October and the Gilbert location was started about 4 years ago. Both campuses are about equal size with total attendance of between 7,000 and 8,000 each weekend. They are a church that takes stewardship seriously and I am thrilled to be here.
Living in Phoenix is not a bad gig either! This weekend the temperature is supposed to reach the 100 degree mark, although normal temps for this time of year average closer to 85. Beats the 45 degrees and overcast currently in Chicago.
The transition will take a while. Debbie will be wrapping up her responsibilities at her school in Chicago until January. (She wanted to experience one more Chicago winter.) She flew here last weekend and we put an offer in on a house that we both are very excited about. Currently waiting back on a response to our offer. Good time to be buying in Arizona. House is selling for less than half of what it sold for in 2005. We will be closing on our house in Chicago on November 9. It was on the market for 10 days! Needless to say, we are grateful for the quick sale.
Even though January is a long way off, Debbie and I will be together a number of times between now and then. I am flying to Chicago next weekend to teach a seminar, then back on November 6 for packing up and closing, then Debbie will be in Arizona for the week of Thanksgiving. We will be together a couple of times in December and then January is right around the corner.
We are hoping that friends and relatives will come visit us. The house we hope to get is larger than we need so we can have plenty of house guests! Bring your bathing suits … great pool in the back yard.
Best email to reach us on: dbriggsis@gmail.com
Palm trees and cactus suit me just fine!
Hey DR…still playing guitar..remember in Phoenix it’s a dry heat, but be careful, so is a pizza oven..
Good luck in your new location,
Jim Lewis, Marty Mooney, Don Nau, Mike Havey, Dave Kroger, Roger Shinness, maybe even Bob “Parly” Parliament are getting together in a couple of weeks, will probably post a short movie slide video…
Again good luck and God’s blessing out in the Wild West…take care.. Jose’ Grande’
By: Joe Large on October 17, 2009
at 9:08 am
[...] at Willow Creek Church in Chicago. No longer. My ‘rents are moving to Phoenix. Read about it here and [...]
By: J.R. Briggs » [17] Thoughts, links + musings » Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep on October 30, 2009
at 9:06 am