Following institutional custom, here's my farewell email to Briercrest:
Hi friends,
Since this coming Friday is my final day on staff, I wanted to say my thanks.
Briercrest has been for me an important place to grow and learn — both in the classroom and in the office. I first entered the Briercrest staff world when Doug Bergren gave me a spot on the Grounds Crew back in 2007 as a young, just-married, beardless kid. Somehow from there I wound up as Webmaster and got to learn the skills that are my bread and butter now. I had no business being hired here, because I came with no experience, just a load of aspirations and aptitudes. I think what I’m most grateful for in the years I’ve spent here as an employee is that Briercrest is a weird cocoon. This has been a place where know-nothings can become somebodies.
This is a hard time for everybody, with layoffs and uncertainties (and probably a lot of insecurities). In the tumult I’m comforted by two things: forest fires are necessary in order for new life to grow; and Briercrest isn’t the linchpin of God’s plans for the world. Jesus knew Peter was a moron, but still asked him to feed his sheep. Even if Briercrest gets it wrong and can't find a way out of decline for a while, it doesn’t mean God’s work will be frustrated. Christ is risen. Somehow his will is done, even with foolhardy Peter at the helm. So take heart. It’s hard now, but Lent always comes before Easter.
To follow farewell-email convention, here’s what I’m up to next:
I’m still Youth Minister at St. Aidan, and plan to be for years to come. There is much youth ministering to be done in the Anglican Church world, and I want to be part of it.
I’ve also launched my own web agency, Codigo Web Development (codigo.ca), creating custom websites and content management. I’m aiming to work with church governance bodies as much as possible (dioceses, synods, etc.) since I’m quite familiar with that world, but I’m taking on other clients, too, to fill in the gaps (small businesses, churches, etc.). I’m hoping also to serve Briercrest as a ghost in the shadows, doing contract work to help Briercrest’s web to continue to move forward.
You can reach me here:
Fare thee well,
Luke