One of the things that excites me with our transition is the fact that the Ethnos San Diego site will be led by a very amazing and powerful staff team. I've written about some of the strengths Tim bring to the table; I'd like to gush a little bit about the rest of the team:

Scott Eng, Resident Pastor: What blesses me most about Scott is his humility. He came to Ethnos a few years back, simply joining Ethnos and being a "normal" member despite having been a pastor prior to that. Now he's on staff, sharing his love and serving us in a number of ways as an all-around sort of leader and friend. Expect Scott to continue to do what he's already doing: developing leaders, speaking on Sundays, counseling members, teaching, and more. If you're looking for a pastor to trust, you'll definitely have two amazing people to look to!

Eric Lige, Programming Arts: I'm almost certain that anyone who has ever spent more than 3 minutes of personal time with Eric has immediately asked themselves, "wait, is this guy really this kind, friendly, loving, and amazing?!" Eric's talent in music is simply astounding (he's sung for Grammy events and shows like Glee), but what's really even more important and foundational is his character. Eric is called to be a bridge builder, and so be on the lookout for how God will continue to use him to do that with our various partners in the community, especially at UCSD.

Yvonne Tempel, Ethnos Kids Director: You can never define anyone simply by a writing a paragraph; Yvonne is definitely no exception. From being raised in a family that served the urban poor to her stints in Berlin and London, Yvonne has got a journey worth listening to. She'd actually really like for you to ask her about it too- she's an extrovert that loves to be with people. Expect Yvonne to continue to serve not only our children at Ethnos, but the families in our community as well.  As a successful mother of two teenagers, she's definitely got some good things to share!

Amy Oba, Administrator: Don't let the fact that Amy is our youngest staff member fool you. She's the real deal, and we're not just talking about her administrative abilities. Amy's walk with Jesus and ability to walk with others is something that has blessed many in Intervarsity and now Ethnos. She's a champion for the marginalized, and so expect her to not only take care of us administratively, but also help us continue to be a place for all peoples.

Eric Hazzard, Elder: While not technically on staff, we can't talk about the leadership at Ethnos without talking about Eric, our current non-staff elder. Eric's love for Jesus and Ethnos is huge.  It's often unseen, however, because of the nature of the work: praying, researching, discerning, and praying some more about the big decisions behind Ethnos does not bring any sort of limelight. But it's essential. Expect to see more of Eric's great leadership come through in a number of ways as a new chapter begins.

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Prayer Points:

 1. For God to give our staff team more leadership and love as a new season begins.

2. For God to give us unity with our staff team in the new season.