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"Where
God is seen, love is felt, and lives are
changed.”
That’s what Jeff Wood
believes about the church of Jesus
Christ and what he hopes for all to find
at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. The
Co-Pastor Nominating Committee is
recommending Jeff be called as
Co-Pastor. Jeff has ministered in
congregations in Illinois, Minnesota,
and Texas. His work has been as
Coordinator of Lay Ministries, Associate
Pastor for Evangelism & Mission,
Executive Pastor, and Senior Pastor.
Jeff is joyfully married to Amy.
Theirs is a yours, mine, and ours family
of six children ages two to twenty.
Jeff's Background
When asked where he’s
from, Jeff answers, “Many places.” His
father’s job with the US Coast Guard
meant that the family moved. But Jeff
adds that most of those years were “by
the water.” He did make Chicago his
home when he attended Wheaton College
where he majored in Christian
Education. He also holds degrees from
Cambridge University and Union Seminary
in Richmond, VA. Since then, and for
almost twenty years, his home has been
Texas.
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Odds & Ends
Interests?
Travel,
movies, reading, hiking
Favorite
authors?
C.S. Lewis,
Eugene Peterson, John Piper,
Henri Nouwen.
Vacations —
beach or mountains?
I’ll
take a slice of each, please
Spiritual
gifts?
Pastoral; teaching /
administration |
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His
Passion
"I'd like to
help those who are not yet
consciously following Christ
to do so, and to help those
who are, to do so in the
most fully devoted of ways.”
“Leadership
begins in the spiritual
relationship – what your
heart and mind find in God.
Here we are anchored in His
love and purposes. Here we
find the peace to be who we
are.”
“I believe
worship leads to mission and
mission leads to worship" |
Amy's Background
Amy came to faith
in Christ during her time at Arizona
State University. She and Jeff share an
interest in missions and ministering.
Amy grew up in New Jersey, loves Boston
and Philly, and the southwest, where her
extended family now resides. She loves
learning, reading, exercise, birds, and
art. Most recently, she studied massage
therapy and began home schooling.
The Children
Together they have six children. They
know the joy and the ups and downs of
marriage and remarriage, family and
stepfamily. Son Taylor is a
business major at Trinity University in
San Antonio. Aaron will soon
begin his freshman year at Grove City
College near Pittsburgh. Griffin
is a sports enthusiast and will be in
eighth grade. Sierra is the girl
in the pack and keeps Mom company; she
is a fantastic reader and will enter 5th
grade. Asher is four and loves
costumes. Logan is two and has
never met a balloon he didn’t like.
The Work
Jeff will share with Co-Pastor Elmer
Floyd in all the pastoral work of the
church, and will also serve as Head of
Staff and give attention to
administrative concerns.
As
unanimously recommended by the
Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC)
Sandy Beckwith, Claire
Gibbs, Lauren Helton, Harv Hobson
(Chair), Rob Huggins, Tom Kirk, Pat
Maxwell, Lisa Morrison, Ann Warden, Brad
Williams, and C. V. Williams
(not all pictured
below)
A Letter to the Eastminster
Family from PNC
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Dear
Eastminster Family,
With great
enthusiasm, we ask that all
members attend the
congregational meeting on
Sunday, July 30th
following the 10 a.m.
worship service. We’ll be
voting to extend a call to
the Reverend Jeffrey S. Wood
to join Eastminster’s staff
as our second permanent
co-pastor, joining Elmer
Floyd.
Most
recently, Jeff served nearly
six years as Senior Pastor
of St. Thomas Presbyterian
Church in Houston. While
there he added a
contemporary worship
service, expanded the use of
the facility to include
Brazilian and Korean worship
services, and opened up the
use of the building for
local civic and community
groups. His congregation
also helped resettle some of
the thousands of evacuees
from Hurricane Katrina who
have relocated to Houston.
The Pastor
Nominating Committee (PNC)
first met Jeff last
November. In March, after
seeing him preach and
holding extensive
discussions during a weekend
visit here, we unanimously
agreed to ask him to
consider joining
Eastminster’s staff. As
Jeff’s sense of God’s
leading was being confirmed,
he resigned his position in
April to allow him and St.
Thomas to enter into the
next phase of their
ministries. Jeff and Elmer
have spent considerable time
together, and have learned
that they share the same
values, but with
complementary ministry
gifts. And they get along
well. On July 6th,
Jeff and your PNC met with
the Presbytery’s Committee
on Ministry in Orlando, and
received their approval to
call Jeff to Eastminster.
Jeff’s family
is very dear to him. After
losing his first wife to
cancer nearly a decade ago
the Lord blessed him with
Amy, whom he married in
1999. She is charming and a
real asset to Jeff’s
ministry.
Together they
have six children. They
know the joy and the ups and
downs of marriage and
remarriage, family and
stepfamily. Son Taylor is a
business major at Trinity
University in San Antonio.
Aaron will soon begin his
freshman year at Grove City
College near Pittsburgh.
Griffin is a sports
enthusiast and will be in
eighth grade. Sierra is the
girl in the pack and keeps
Mom company; she is a
fantastic reader and will
enter 5th grade.
Asher is four and loves
costumes. Logan is two and
has never met a balloon he
didn’t like.
We’re excited
about the chance for
everyone to meet Jeff and
Amy at the congregational
meeting on July 30th.
We hope you’ll be
there.
With
gratitude we are, in Christ,
The Pastor
Nominating Committee:
Sandy
Beckwith, Claire Gibbs,
Lauren Helton, Harv Hobson
(Chair), Rob Huggins, Tom
Kirk, Pat Maxwell, Lisa
Morrison, Ann Warden, Brad
Williams, and C. V. Williams |
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Background
Information
