We are very excited about Craig Shigyo and his family joining our VC family. It is understandable that some of you might have questions about this change.
For those of you who don’t know, the elders unanimously agreed to invite Craig, out of over 100 applicants, to be our next Lead Pastor. Rest assured Craig is 100% in agreement not only with our church mission and vision, but also with all our doctrine and position papers, and with our ministries and staff assignments.
Craig is a godly and gifted man, and we look forward to the contribution he will make to our well-established “team approach” to decision making, vision casting, and church leadership. Just as I have been surrounded by an amazing team, so will Craig be. I’m looking forward to mentoring Craig through a transition time and then taking a sabbatical this summer. The elders are still exploring options about my role after that.
We ask that you continue to pray for Craig, Amanda, and their boys as they transition into the life of our church and become acclimated to life in the Bay Area. We know that you are a very hospitable congregation and that you will warmly welcome them into our church family in the coming weeks and months ahead. We plan to have a reception for the Shigyo family on their first Sunday, Feb 2 in the Welcome Center.
As we consider the days ahead, let’s remember we worship a sovereign Heavenly Father who is so generous and can do more than we can possibly imagine or think. We are so thankful to Him for bringing Craig and his family to us, and we look forward with great confidence and joy to the way God will continue to accomplish His good work.
Our elders will remain at the front of the Worship Center after the service this Sunday, January 12th, and we welcome you to come chat with any of us if you have any suggestions or questions about this transition.
In Christ,
Kurt
After growing up in Fresno, CA, Craig received his Bachelor’s Degree from UC San Diego in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. During this time, he was also involved with Cru campus ministry and spent time overseas in their international internship program. Craig later received his call to ministry at Oakhurst Evangelical Free Church and has served fifteen years in pastoral ministry at Oakhurst EV Free and Woodward Park Baptist Church in Fresno. Due to a desire to grow in his knowledge of biblical languages, theology, and God’s Word, he received his Master of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in New Testament at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. When he’s not serving the church, Craig is probably enjoying a cup of coffee and a good book. Although, the best times of his day are when he spends time with his family. Craig and Amanda met in a young adults Bible study in Oakhurst and have been married since 2010. They have two boys, Isaac and Augustine, who love going on daddy-son dates for Frozen Yogurt or other sweet treats.
To learn more about Pastor Craig, click on the links below: