Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church: Wilmington, DE

“Delaware? What’s that like?” This has now become the most popular question to ask me. Whether it’s my classmates from Princeton, friends from San Jose, or TSA officers in the airport, people love questioning me about my new state of residency. And my response, without fail, every single time is, “I love it”.

To most people, mainly my friends back home who have no idea where Delaware even is, find this as a shock. Then, I inform them on how great
the state of Delaware has treated me so far. Back in California there are hills, 4,000 ft in elevation, to mountain bike, here I have White Clay Creek State Park that’s only 10 minutes from the church and has better trails than the ones that I’m used to in California (don’t tell my friends I said that though). In California there is sales tax, on everything, and it’s high. In California, you don’t get to ice skate from your car to the Sanctuary in your dress shoes. Who wouldn’t choose Delaware?! But neither of these reasons is why I respond to people asking about Delaware with, “I love it”. The reason that I love it is because of where I work. I have been part of the Red Clay community for seven months and from day one, I knew that I had found a place that I could call home.

I can’t count how many warm hand shakes and smiling faces have approached me to welcome me, to support me, and to encourage me when I first begun my ministry here, and as I continue to grow here. I came to RCCPC as the Director of Children and Youth Ministries, so it was through the children and youth that I had expected to receive the most acceptances. Oh, how wrong I was. It has been the entire church that has created an environment of acceptance, from the people I sat around the table with at Tuesdays Together to the helping hands that worked on Harvest Happening and all the way to the inquirers in the new member’s class. So my hat goes off to you Red Clay. You are a unique community. I have so many friends who have only graduated last spring and already have horror stories about their ministry experience.

So keep up the good work. Continue to be a welcoming place to new and unfamiliar faces, to help strangers find acceptance, and to create a place where people can call home. I am amazed, daily, that there is a place like this. A place that is living out the Gospel in everything they do. And what’s even more amazing to me is that I get to be a part of it.

Grace and peace,

John