Here's...Justin!
Gregg DeMey:
The school year is officially upon us and with it, a long list of firsts. Students have moved up to a new grade. Teachers are meeting their new classes and depositing a whole set of new names into their memory banks. So many of our young people are putting on a brave face and walking through the doors of their new middle school, high school, or college for the very first time.
At Elmhurst CRC, we have our own new experiences coming this fall. In the spirit of firsts, I want to be the first to share the good news that we’ve hired a new Executive Director to serve at Elmhurst CRC, help lead our staff, and keep the administrative and day-to-day business of the church humming along.
In anticipation of Mimi Stanton’s retirement from this post, we advertised the job description back in May, received more than 35 applications, conducted first-round Zoom interviews and then second-round in-person interviews with three extraordinarily qualified finalists for the job – our Personnel Team has been hard at work behind the scenes! This process led us to Justin Paul Lawrence, who began this past Wednesday.
We’ll introduce Justin in person this coming Sunday in worship, but here he is to tell us a little about his background, family, and what drew him into serving the local church at this point in his life. Take it away, Justin!
Justin Lawrence:
Thanks, Gregg! I’m very excited to join the excellent team here at Elmhurst CRC.
Before coming here, I spent over 20 years in Christian publishing, the last eight as a member of the executive team at InterVarsity Press in Downers Grove. There, I collaborated with bestselling authors, sold and marketed books, and traveled to events across the globe.
I am married to Joy, a pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church. We have two children: Evelyn, a theatre-loving 9th grader, and Judah, a 6th grader with a passion for cars, both of whom attend Timothy Christian.
I grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, in a family deeply involved in their local Christian and Missionary Alliance church. I have earned degrees from Houghton University (NY), Regent College (Canada), and Grand Valley State University (MI). My diverse career includes roles as a soccer coach, a bookseller at Barnes and Noble, an order-picker in a frozen foods warehouse, and a management consultant.
I’m passionate about high-functioning Christian organizations and look forward to helping Elmhurst CRC be the best light possible through our worship and programs. I’ve already been able to participate in our all-staff retreat and a number of church gatherings, and I would love to meet as many new faces as possible!