How God Opens Doors...

How God Opens Doors. . .

And Leads us in Paths of Righteousness

In July, God opened the door for us to serve Crane Chapel and I have so enjoyed these past several weeks of getting to know you as your Interim Pastor. Most of you, however, have an advantage at this point since I’m up front on Sundays doing all the talking. Unless I’ve had the opportunity to visit with you one-on-one, you know more about me than I know about you. Please come up and talk to me after the service about things that interest you. That will help me get a sense of you. I am interested in your family and its unique stories, paths, and drama.

My path to you is its own unique story and it is only in hindsight that I undoubtedly see that God’s hand has been moving and opening doors of ministry my entire life. I was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota and my dad moved our family north to the Iron Range when I was just a baby. I spent my childhood in the Aurora/Hoyt Lakes area of northern Minnesota. My parents were saved when I was only seven-years-old so I was able to witness firsthand the work of an Almighty God in the cynical and hardened hearts of my own parents. Today, my father is with the Lord and my mother carries on her own unique ministry to the women of her church in Campbellsville, KY.

I attended Pillsbury Baptist College in Owatonna, MN. This is where I first felt the call of God to preach. I went on to seminary, earning both a Master of Theology and Master of Divinity degree. Then God directed my path West. My father took a job with Exxon and I followed the family to Wyoming where I took my first pastorate in Douglas. The Lord then led me to California where I served as the Senior Pastor at a church in Jackson for about six years. In the years since, I’ve gained precious experience from the pastorate, from filling numerous pulpits, serving in interim positions, and serving in various church ministries.

God gives us each an individual mission field. These mission fields represent a vast range of environments. As many of you know, the focus of my ministry since 1991 has been the factory floor at Hormel. I find it incredible how God opens doors to further His work. Last Spring, I begin to feel a burden to enlarge my ministry – specifically as an Interim Pastor – wherever needed. We began praying and within weeks, God opened a door! We went through it. Now, we wait on the Lord for His direction for our future. It is truly remarkable that the congregation God has called us to serve has such a rich history with Hormel Foods.

Although I’ve not publicly introduced my family, you’ve already heard much about them in my preaching. I do – like most preachers - use illustrations from my own life in my sermons. What many of you do not know is that my wife Esthermay and I are still (yes - at our age) “Newlyweds.” God wove our separate and unique paths together in December 2001 and we were married six months later.

My wife Esthermay (Bentley) brings her own unique story along with some beautiful assets to our marriage. She is the organized one with the gift of administration and discernment. She keeps me organized, prepared, and well dressed. Esthermay is a native of Indiana, but did graduate from Austin High School. Some of you may remember her father who managed the Social Security Office here in Austin in the 1980’s. His career kept the family moving across the Midwest. Esthermay is a graduate of Northwestern Bible College in St. Paul, MN and Indiana University-Indianapolis. She also attended Anderson University in Anderson, IN. Her path has given her a mixture of ministry experiences from counseling to political activism to music performance. Before becoming a full-time-stay-at-home-mom and wife, Esthermay combined her law degree and counseling degree when she held the position of Victim/Witness Coordinator in the Mower County Attorney’s Office.

We have two delightful and precious children: Selah and Shepard. Selah just turned two and Shepard will soon mark his First Birthday. Our children are truly God’s gift to us considering that Esthermay learned years ago that she would be unable to bear children. But. . . here they are! They have blessed us and it is our heart’s desire to raise them in a godly home with Biblical values.

My prayer today, as I reflect on my time as your Interim Pastor, is that I can continue to provide the preaching, pastoral care, and spiritual leadership needed so that the church leaders are relieved of any anxiety in this area. Their focus is – as it should be -- on the future of Crane Chapel. I am only a servant and a guest in your pulpit for the time.

I don’t have office hours – you’ll find me on the factory floor “preaching” in my hard-hat. But please feel free to contact us. Our phone number is 582-3199 or (cell) 440-3282. E-mail is markgoossen@juno.com. Feel free to call, drop by, or drop us a line. We are here at Crane Chapel for a season and a reason:
We are here as your servants. . . .

-- Pastor Mark Goossen