Reflections on A Decade in Ministry with Pastor Mike

This past weekend, Lakeside Baptist Church celebrated a significant milestone: ten years of pastoral ministry under Pastor Mike’s leadership. In a time of reflection and thanksgiving, I sat down with Pastor Mike to look back on God’s faithfulness, reflect on lessons learned, and look ahead to what the Lord may yet do among us. The following is an excerpt from our conversation.

TJ: Mike, ten years is an incredible accomplishment. Looking back over the past ten years, where have you most clearly seen the Lord’s faithfulness?

Mike:That’s hard to narrow down to one or two things, but I’d probably highlight two areas.

First, we’ve seen God do genuine work in people’s lives—real evidence and fruit of growth. It has been incredible to watch people grow in their love for the Word, their love for Jesus, and their conformity to His image.

Second, we’ve seen how God has strategically brought the right people at exactly the right time—people who were needed to fill roles, to come alongside, to support, and to strengthen the ministry in ways that were absolutely essential. Looking back, that has been incredibly encouraging.

TJ: How would you say God has used this season of ministry to shape you personally—as a pastor and as a Christian?

Mike: One of the things ministry does is bring all of your flaws to the surface. I’ve become more aware of my own sinfulness and, at the same time, more aware of how dependent I am on the Lord.

In ministry, you’re always trying to help other people grow. But over time you realize that you actually have zero ability to make that happen. I can be faithful, but the Lord has to do the work. That realization has grown my dependence on Him.

TJ: What has surprised you the most about pastoring this particular church?

Mike: Honestly, one surprise is just how much I love pastoring. I genuinely love being a pastor.

And specifically about this church—this church has become our family. We don’t live close to our biological family, so when I say this church is like family, I really mean it. People here have become grandparents to our kids, aunts and uncles. That depth of relationship is something I never could have anticipated ten years ago.

TJ: In what ways have Emily and the kids supported and strengthened you in ministry?

Mike: Starting with Emily—she has been far more important to my ministry than most people probably realize. She’s incredibly discerning and insightful. Many times, when I’m trying to understand people or situations, I talk things through with her, and she provides invaluable wisdom.

She’s also deeply relational. She often reminds me about anniversaries, surgeries, or people in need—helping me stay connected to the relational heartbeat of the church and enabling me to offer care that I might otherwise miss.

TJ: And she’s also a lot more likable than you!

Mike: That’s true—and better looking too.

As for our kids, one of the things they’ve done since the very beginning is love people well. They hug people freely, show affection, and bring joy. Many of our members hadn’t received a hug from a child in a long time, and that simple act became a ministry in itself. It cultivated love for God’s people in our kids and love for our kids within the church.

TJ: What do you love most about this church body?

Mike: Several things. First, this church genuinely loves the Word. They respect it, respond to it, and desire to know and follow it.

Along with that, there is a real openness to growth. Growth often requires discomfort, but this church has shown humility and willingness to respond—even to difficult teaching. That posture is a tremendous encouragement.

TJ: What Scriptures or biblical themes have anchored you during both encouraging and difficult seasons of ministry?

Mike: It wasn’t until I came to Lakeside that the Lord really helped me understand union with Christ—especially through the imagery of John 15, the vine and the branches.

Jesus isn’t someone who loves me from a distance. I’m vitally connected to Him, and He sustains and strengthens me moment by moment, just as a vine sustains a branch. The longer I walk through ministry—especially through difficult seasons—the more precious that reality becomes.

Everything we need is found in Christ. And the way Jesus concludes John 15—“that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full”—reminds me that true joy flows from abiding in Him.

TJ: This is a two-part question. As we approach the church’s 80-year anniversary, where do you see the church in the next 80 years? And more immediately, what do you hope the next 10 years look like?

Mike: I’ll start with the next 10 years. What God has done at Lakeside over the past decade is something we’re deeply grateful for, and it points to His glory. But someone once told me that what God does must also be stewarded well.

I’d love to see what God has done here multiplied and exported—into other churches in our community and beyond. I’d love for us to be involved in planting and replanting healthy churches and to cultivate a culture that delights in seeing other churches strengthened and made whole.

As for the next 80 years, Lakeside has its own particular personality—we’re a little different, maybe even a little weird in our own way. I’d love to see a network of churches in this area with pastors who share a similar vision for ministry and who cooperate together to send leaders, resources, and support across the country and around the world.

This is still a retirement area, which means we often import leaders. I’d love for us, over time, to become a sending community—a network of churches raising up and sending pastors and members globally.

TJ: How can the congregation best pray for and support you and your family?

Mike: I know this might sound obvious, but Spurgeon once said the effectiveness of his ministry was due to the prayers of his people. I would love for my family and me to be bathed in prayer—not just for fruitful ministry, but for our own souls to be satisfied in the Lord.

Pray for my wife—that she would have deep communion with Christ. Pray for my children—that they would come to love and follow the Lord and walk faithfully with Him. With complete sincerity, consistent prayer for our family is what we desire most.

TJ: Mike, is there anything you’d like to say to close?

Mike: I’m just deeply thankful—for this church, for the Lord’s calling, for the fruit we’ve seen, and for the people He’s brought alongside us. I’m grateful that this church has become a family. As I look ahead, I hope I grow even more in my ability to see the goodness of God in allowing me to serve in this particular church, in this community, with these people.