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Letter from Brian Hasse regarding his future ministry plans.
Brian Hasse
November 21 at 7:40am ? Saint John ?
For nearly 18 months, Jamie and I have been praying and seeking God?s clear direction for our lives. We have served Jesus at Hammond Baptist High School and at First Baptist Church of Hammond for the past 20 years. Yesterday, our family humbly accepted the opportunity to serve as the Senior Pastor at the Mount Carmel Regular Baptist Church in Luray, Virginia.
These past months have been filled with much prayer, love, and encouragement from family and friends as they have journeyed together down this winding?and sometimes unseen?path with us. We have experienced acceptance and rejection, love and hurt, and faith and fear. Through it all, though, our one constant has been Jesus Christ. To please Him has been?and will continue to be?our greatest desire.
While there is certainly a great deal of excitement about serving with the wonderful people we have met at Mount Carmel, there is also a great deal of sorrow in leaving our family and friends of a lifetime. I have spent all 41 years of my life living in the Chicagoland area. Jamie has lived here since she was 12. Our children have lived here for their entire lives. While moving from the city-life to the country-life is a bit intimidating to me, where we live is not my greatest concern. Moving away from those we love dearest on this earth will leave a hole in our hearts and lives?only to be filled with Jesus.
For the entire time we have been waiting for God to guide our next step, I have repeatedly told family and friends that we are not leaving anyone or anything, but rather that we are following Jesus. Although we have no idea of what awaits us in the days ahead, we do know that we have many, many people praying for our family?and these prayers have most certainly sustained us through this time and will continue to strengthen us.
For those with whom I have served at First Baptist, I owe you a debt that I could never repay. I have been surrounded with the greatest of Christian examples. You have both instructed and inspired me to know and love Jesus more. I am so glad that God?s sovereign will placed me amongst and under your teaching.
For those with whom we will get to serve at Mount Carmel, our family has been praying for you long before we knew you. We are humbled that you voted us in. We are excited about joining your incredible faith family. We anticipate growing together as we grow closer to our wonderful Savior! Thank you for accepting us!
For our dear family, thank you for your prayers, love, and support as we journeyed together these past many months. While finding the perfect will of God has been something of which I have excitedly anticipated for a long time, there was always a dread of knowing that the cost of following Jesus would be an earthly separation from those we love so much. Jamie and I both know that it is only because of your love, your encouragement, and your example that we are in a position to live for and serve God. Jamie and I could not ask for greater patterns of how to make Jesus first in our lives. You have consistently modeled for us how to truly love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We hope to make you proud.
Jamie and I want to thank each of you who have prayed for us. We have friends around the world who regularly pray for us?and we could not be more grateful! We know that your prayers have helped to clear the debris and distractions from finding and following God?s will for our lives. Your prayers have strengthened us when we were weak. Your prayers have encouraged us when we were discouraged. Your prayers have kept us near God. And we thank you so much! We would ask that you would continue to pray for our family as the most difficult days lie ahead of us, not behind us.
Finally, we would like to thank Jesus Christ for counting us worthy to serve Him. We know how unworthy we truly are of being able to serve a holy, perfect God. To preach His Word in His church to His people is a daunting and sobering task. Yet, as He has called us, we will follow.
Thank you to each of you who have loved our family. We are indebted to you for your love, care, and prayers! May Jesus be glorified in our lives today!
Brian Hasse
November 21 at 7:40am ? Saint John ?
For nearly 18 months, Jamie and I have been praying and seeking God?s clear direction for our lives. We have served Jesus at Hammond Baptist High School and at First Baptist Church of Hammond for the past 20 years. Yesterday, our family humbly accepted the opportunity to serve as the Senior Pastor at the Mount Carmel Regular Baptist Church in Luray, Virginia.
These past months have been filled with much prayer, love, and encouragement from family and friends as they have journeyed together down this winding?and sometimes unseen?path with us. We have experienced acceptance and rejection, love and hurt, and faith and fear. Through it all, though, our one constant has been Jesus Christ. To please Him has been?and will continue to be?our greatest desire.
While there is certainly a great deal of excitement about serving with the wonderful people we have met at Mount Carmel, there is also a great deal of sorrow in leaving our family and friends of a lifetime. I have spent all 41 years of my life living in the Chicagoland area. Jamie has lived here since she was 12. Our children have lived here for their entire lives. While moving from the city-life to the country-life is a bit intimidating to me, where we live is not my greatest concern. Moving away from those we love dearest on this earth will leave a hole in our hearts and lives?only to be filled with Jesus.
For the entire time we have been waiting for God to guide our next step, I have repeatedly told family and friends that we are not leaving anyone or anything, but rather that we are following Jesus. Although we have no idea of what awaits us in the days ahead, we do know that we have many, many people praying for our family?and these prayers have most certainly sustained us through this time and will continue to strengthen us.
For those with whom I have served at First Baptist, I owe you a debt that I could never repay. I have been surrounded with the greatest of Christian examples. You have both instructed and inspired me to know and love Jesus more. I am so glad that God?s sovereign will placed me amongst and under your teaching.
For those with whom we will get to serve at Mount Carmel, our family has been praying for you long before we knew you. We are humbled that you voted us in. We are excited about joining your incredible faith family. We anticipate growing together as we grow closer to our wonderful Savior! Thank you for accepting us!
For our dear family, thank you for your prayers, love, and support as we journeyed together these past many months. While finding the perfect will of God has been something of which I have excitedly anticipated for a long time, there was always a dread of knowing that the cost of following Jesus would be an earthly separation from those we love so much. Jamie and I both know that it is only because of your love, your encouragement, and your example that we are in a position to live for and serve God. Jamie and I could not ask for greater patterns of how to make Jesus first in our lives. You have consistently modeled for us how to truly love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We hope to make you proud.
Jamie and I want to thank each of you who have prayed for us. We have friends around the world who regularly pray for us?and we could not be more grateful! We know that your prayers have helped to clear the debris and distractions from finding and following God?s will for our lives. Your prayers have strengthened us when we were weak. Your prayers have encouraged us when we were discouraged. Your prayers have kept us near God. And we thank you so much! We would ask that you would continue to pray for our family as the most difficult days lie ahead of us, not behind us.
Finally, we would like to thank Jesus Christ for counting us worthy to serve Him. We know how unworthy we truly are of being able to serve a holy, perfect God. To preach His Word in His church to His people is a daunting and sobering task. Yet, as He has called us, we will follow.
Thank you to each of you who have loved our family. We are indebted to you for your love, care, and prayers! May Jesus be glorified in our lives today!
