Message From Harvest Session: Norfleet Call to Briarwood PCA
Last week, Pastor Greg Norfleet informed the pastoral staff and ruling elders that he had accepted a call to become the new Pastor of Counseling / Director of Counseling Ministry at Briarwood Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Birmingham, Alabama. This means that Pastor Greg is asking for the Harvest congregation and the Presbytery of Michigan and Ontario to agree to dissolve his pastoral call to Harvest, effective September 16.
As Pastor Greg will share, this is an exciting opportunity for him and Cindy on a couple of levels. First, Briarwood Presbyterian is a healthy, vibrant church that is engaged in exciting and effective gospel ministry. Harvest has benefited from Briarwood’s ministry, having sent elders and deacons down to Briarwood to learn from them in the past. Now we get to bless Briarwood as we anticipate sending Pastor Greg to assist Briarwood in an important ministry area. Second, this move will bring Pastor Greg and Cindy much closer to their growing family (including their recently born grandson).
Naturally, we are sad to say goodbye to Pastor Greg and Cindy. Since adding Pastor Greg to the pastoral staff in 2020, he has been a valuable part of our leadership team. He has made important contributions in training people in counseling skills, ministering to suffering saints and sinners in our midst, and ministering to the congregation through preaching and visitation. We also benefited from Pastor Greg’s vision in hosting a conference for leaders on abuse with Darby Strickland in 2022 and a conference on caring well for one another with Ed Welch in 2023.
Cindy Norfleet has also quietly, yet valuably, contributed her wisdom by serving on our Vine Project Team and the Women’s Ministry Oversight Committee. She will very much be missed also.
Yet, as a church, we want to be mindful that Christ’s kingdom is much bigger than our congregation and that He will provide for our needs as we trust Him to do so. Christ has cared so well for our congregation in the past and, as elders, we are confident that He will continue to do so. So, even as we look back on appreciation for Pastor Greg’s ministry, we also will begin to look forward to what’s next for us as a church.
The most immediate step is that the elders have called a congregational meeting for Sunday, September 3, 2023, following the completion of the morning service and Children’s Singing Time. The purpose of the meeting will be to request that the presbytery concur with Pastor Greg’s request to dissolve the ministerial relationship between him and Harvest. If this motion passes, then the presbytery will vote on whether to approve this request at its stated meeting on September 16, 2023 at Rockford Springs Community Church in Rockford, MI.
Between now and then, Pastor Greg will preach his last sermon at Harvest on September 3, work at transition plans for his various counseling relationships, wrap up his involvement with our Love & Truth Counseling team, and take a few remaining days of time off. He has been asked by Briarwood to start his work there on October 1.
Before kicking off a pastoral search, the elders intend to take some time to evaluate the needs of the congregation. Because we care deeply for the health of the congregation, we believe it is critical to find the right man who is the right fit for the right position. The elders have set some time aside for a strategic planning retreat on November 3-4, 2023. As part of that time, we will consider how we should act on this pastoral vacancy in light of our future plans for ministry.
We would encourage members of the congregation to pray for and with Pastor Greg and Cindy as they make this big move. Please also make a point of encouraging them by thanking them for their good labors among us over the past three years. And please be in prayer for our congregation as we consider how best to move into the future together.
On behalf of Harvest Session,
Wayne Veenstra
Moderator of Session
From My Heart to Yours
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Harvest Church,
With a heavy yet God-trusting heart, I’m writing to inform you that the Lord is leading me in a new direction. Two weeks ago, I received and accepted the offer to become the Pastor of Counseling and Director of Counseling Ministry at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Since then, I’ve shared my news personally with Pastors Dale, Wayne, and Adrian, my fellow Elders and Church Staff, and my Love & Truth Counseling Team; today, I wish to share my news with you.
Cindy and I are surprised that God has opened this new door for us, and yet we are also excited, because it will allow us to live and serve much closer to our family down south. As you may know, our soon-to-be-married son, Nathan lives in Atlanta, GA; our son and daughter-in-law, Evan and Julia, and our new grandson Henry Edward, anticipate moving to Charlotte, NC; and Cindy’s mom and sister live just below Knoxville, TN—all within relatively easy drives from Birmingham. So, we look forward to being more present in their lives, especially in this season of our lives.
And yet my heart is heavy, because you, the congregation, have been exceedingly welcoming, kind, and generous to Cindy and me, and God has given us a special affection for Harvest Church. When we first drove into town and checked into our Airbnb three years ago, one of you had stocked the pantry and filled the refrigerator with “Traverse City Cherry Fudge” Hudsonville Ice Cream—a foretaste (literally!) of God’s many gifts that would come to us through you. And when I drove three golf balls out of bounds, only to search and find eight balls in the woods, I knew I was starting to appreciate how much I could learn from Dutch culture when one of you said to me, “Brother, that’s a great round of golf!” We will always treasure your smiling faces, singing voices, prayers of support, notes of encouragement, and many more aspects of our fellowship in Christ. Thank you, each and all!
I also feel the weight of my departure, because it means leaving a special band of brothers and sisters. First, my fellow Pastors and Elders at Harvest. Several months ago, during a difficult season in the life of our church, I recall sitting on the back row and watching these brothers walk forward and take their place prior to serving the Lord’s Supper. I thought to myself, “These are good, good men.” It’s been an honor to serve alongside these brothers, and it’s important that you, the congregation, know that I’ve enjoyed a good relationship with each of them, that my transition is for positive reasons, and that I’m leaving on good terms. Second, my Love & Truth Counseling Team. Last night, we met and took time to reflect on our growth and ministry together, and I was deeply moved by the sights and sounds of Christ working quietly yet powerfully in each of them. Finally, those of you who I’ve had the privilege of counseling personally. Thank you for reaching out to me in your time of need; Jesus not only preaches but also counsels the Word, and I’m humbled to have served as his instrument of help to you.
I’m looking back on this season among you with a strong sense of satisfaction—for lots of reasons, but let me highlight two. First, by the grace of Christ, I’ve grown tremendously as a minister of the gospel. Through the wide doors opened to me by my fellow Pastors and Elders, I’ve been set free to lead, find my voice, and enjoy a confidence in ministry like never before. As a result, the Spirit has prepared me to take the next step in my journey. Second, by the grace of Christ, our Love & Truth Counseling Team has grown tremendously as a ministry of the gospel. Having caught the vision for biblical counseling twenty-five years ago, and having been trained to live, cast, and lead the vision, it’s been my joy to “pass the baton” to our Team here. Through our conferences, trainings, and countless conversations, we’ve broken new ground, expanded foundations, and advanced Christ’s kingdom by receiving and giving his wise counsel and loving care. As a result, the Spirit has prepared Harvest to take the next step in its journey. And so, our three-year season together has been mutually beneficial and reinforcing, and for this progress I’m profoundly glad and grateful.
Of course, it's impossible to capture and convey everything on my heart in a post like this, so I’m looking forward to speaking to you more personally when I preach my farewell sermon on Sunday, September 3. Until then, please know that “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5).
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Pastor Greg