To my friends at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church,

I thank God for bringing us together. From my first meeting with the PNC at Bradley Hills, I sensed providence at work and it quickly became clear to me that God meant for us to be in ministry together.

Yours is a great congregation with a proud past and a future full of hope. I can see so many possibilities in your future and am grateful for the opportunity to be part of what God has in store for you. I am impressed by your caring attitude as a congregation. I sense your openness to creativity, to diversity, and to exploring ideas and issues together. I share your passion to make a difference in Bethesda, in Washington, D.C. and in the world. I believe that together we can deepen our relationships with Christ, deepen our connection as a community and find ways together to make an impact both within and outside the church. There are many institutions in our world that we can be a part of, but there is none that has the potential to inspire, to help and to transform that the church has.

In late October, we welcomed a gift from God, our second child, Brendan, into our family. The newness of life reminds us of the hope we have for the future.

My hope for the church and for our world comes from my faith in God. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

I am full of hope as I think about joining with you in serving at Bradley Hills. I am looking forward to getting to know you and to your getting to know my family. I am excited about what we might accomplish in ministry together. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve, lead, learn and grow along with you. The hope I have that together we can grow in Christ gives me great joy and peace. I look forward to our journey together.

In Christ’s love,

David