I am writing this letter on behalf of Reg Genter, whom I have known personally and professionally for approximately 18 years. Through this letter I hope to paint a picture of the Reg I’ve known as a Pastor, a leader, and a friend.  

 

Reg and Cesca came to The Chapel when my husband Brad and I were new attenders with very young children.  We were not involved in any way other than attending worship services on the weekends.  We didn’t understand the importance of serving as part of the church body until Reg called us and asked us to serve in the preschool room. How could we say no to a Pastor!?  Since that time we have seen the passion with which Reg strives to get people connected to serving in their area of passion and giftedness.  That was the start of a journey that took me from volunteering in the preschool room that one time, to being on staff leading the elementary portion of our children's ministry team.  How my life would have been different if Reg hadn't shown me how to match my passion and gifts with my serving. Reg’s influence in this area has helped me to lead my team by those same principles.  Finding ways to connect people's passion and gifts to a ministry can create such joy in serving and give us sustainable volunteerism.   

 

Reg has been the Pastor in charge of overseeing the children's ministry since I've come on staff here at The Chapel 15 years ago. Reg cares about me as a person and about our team, our struggles and our successes.  He always takes the time to listen.  Reg makes sure that our team is actively pursuing The Chapel’s vision, and then he allows us the freedom to lead our team within the framework of that vision. Reg was the initiator of a creative new approach to how we did children's ministry here at The Chapel.  The energy, inspiration, and excitement he brought to that vision have helped us grow our ministry into a fun, relevant, creative ministry of over 350 kids and 300 volunteers each weekend. Leading a ministry of this size is hard and not without struggle.  Reg is always there for us, cheering us on and encouraging us, and never letting us lose sight of the big picture — to connect kids and their families to Christ.

 

Stories of heartfelt change drive Reg, and he believes sharing those stories with others will inspire them as well.  Those stories inspire others to serve, to give, to do life with other Christians, and mostly to give their lives to Christ.   Reg is passionate about unity.  He’s also passionate about teamwork, working together selflessly for a common goal in order to reach others for Christ. Reg has inspired me to lead from my heart, to not judge, to really listen to people, and to love others unconditionally. Reg leads from a position of relationships first.  He takes time to invest in people.  He believes that the mission and vision can be accomplished best if we take the time to build relationships first.

 

I love when Reg teaches during the weekend services. He’s creative, humble, funny, and authentic.  He puts his heart on his sleeve and makes the congregation feel what he’s sharing about.  He has a unique, engaging, enthusiastic teaching style.  He’s passionate about stories — stories of life change, stories of needs being met, of generosity.  He’ll work tirelessly on a project to pull video and other media, music, and people together to make a story come to life from the pulpit.

 

One of my first memories of Reg as a new Pastor in our church was his sharing that he memorized the book of 1 Peter as a child.  The commitment to hiding God's word in his heart spurred a desire in me for the same.  And while I'm not sure I'll ever be able to memorize an entire book of the Bible, I have learned to take the time to be disciplined to get in the Bible consistently, memorize scripture, and let it lead my life.

 

What I remember most about my first impression of Reg was his funny stories, effective ways of communicating, and caring spirit.  And at his side was Cesca with her beautiful countenance, her amazing hostess skills, and awesome laugh. Since then, we have come to know Reg and Cesca on a deeper level.  Working together and serving together have created a very special bond. They are important people in my life, both in their roles as leaders in this church and community, and most importantly as friends. They will be missed.

 

While my heart is sad that this period of time has come to an end, I am beyond excited for the church family God has planned for Reg and Cesca and their family.  They will be honored to know Reg and Cesca and to have them in their church family.  Their team will be better because the Genters will help make it so. 

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Sincerely,  

 

Kelly VanCauwenbergh
Ministry Coordinator, Kid’s Celebration
The Chapel, Sandusky, Ohio