A couple months ago I announced that our beloved Office Manager, Diane Baker, is retiring in January. We have been actively seeking for her successor, and we have been asking for the Lord to bring us the person that He desires to serve in that important role. In this search we have been blessed with a number of very qualified candidates, and we believe that the Lord has led us to a man named Marc Boeker (pronounced “Baker”). This past week he accepted an offer from us to come on staff at The Bridge. So this month’s Top 10 will focus on some things that will help you learn a little about Marc and his family.
- Family – Marc has been blessed with a wonderful godly wife, Amber, and four boys who are all following the Lord. The oldest, Ethan, 23, recently married his wife Hannah, then Nathaniel, 21, who will soon be married to his fiancé Trulee Grace. Carter, 18, is attending Master’s University, and Aaron, 16, still lives at home and is homeschooled by Amber.
- Music – The entire family is gifted musically. They all play musical instruments and Amber teaches piano and voice lessons. Marc is leaving a position as Associate Pastor where he led worship at their church – Acton Faith Bible Church.
- Grace University – Marc and Amber met at this Bible college, in Omaha, Nebraska, where they both were preparing to become full-time missionaries. While there, they were married and shortly after went on a 6-month mission trip to Mali, in West Africa. Coincidentally, this was the same area that Susan’s sister and brother-in-law (Brad and Lisa Leeger) served for a number of years.
- Spain – After they graduated from college their desire was to go back on the mission field, and so they moved to Malaga, Spain. Marc worked in the media center there for two years focusing on reaching the Muslim world with the Word of God.
- The Master’s Seminary – When Marc and Amber came back to the US, he worked for the Avant Ministries and other organizations doing IT work and Web design. Eventually Marc’s desire to be further trained led him to The Master’s Seminary at Grace Community Church, where he graduated with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in 2012.
- Acton Faith Bible Church – While they were atthe seminary, they attended and served at this local church that had been supporting them during their time in Spain. Marc has served as an Associate Pastor there since 2009.
- Technology and then some… – Marc’s background has allowed him to gain a tremendous amount of experience in all areas of technology. He has served as Network Administrator, Computer Technician, Graphic Designer, Web Developer, and trainer in all of the above. We are really going to enjoy the expertise that he will bring to The Bridge with all of those skills.
- Pastoral & Administrative – His role at Acton Faith Bible Church and other places that he has worked has allowed Marc to become a very gifted administrator and pastor. I can’t wait for everyone to meet him as he is a very personable and servant-hearted young man. Diane Baker has already expressed how thrilled she is that the Lord has brought someone to replace her that will be able to “more than keep things going!”
- Marc’s Role at TBBF – With Marc’s diverse and ministerial background, we have decided to turn the Office Manager position into more of a pastoral role. And so, his official title will be – Associate Pastor of Administration. It’s going to be a big job and we’re very excited that Marc will be able to serve us in such an important capacity.
- When? – After the Boeker’s Christmas trip to see their family back in Nebraska, Marc will officially start work on Monday, January 8th. Please pray for them for safety as they are driving there and back. Bonus Item – One of the many areas that The Bridge has greatly benefited from Diane’s service is in the area of memorial service coordination. Thankfully, she has agreed to continue serving in this capacity as our official Memorial Coordinator. As you all know, she is amazing at ministering to grieving families and showing the love of Christ while helping them work through very difficult times. And we’re blessed that she will be able to continue in this ministry.
Praise the Lord for answering our prayers and blessing us with a wonderful new young family to be part of our church. Please also pray that the Lord would provide some affordable housing for the Boekers. They currently live in Palmdale and, obviously, they are hoping to move into a place much closer to all of us! If you have or know of someone who has a home nearby that can be rented below current market values, please let us know.
Well that’s my last Top 10 for 2023! I hope that all of you and your families have an amazing time celebrating what some have said is the most amazing event in history – God taking on human flesh, so that He could one day die and make salvation available to us all.
I hope to see you all as we worship together at 9 am on Christmas Eve!
Pastor Randy