08/01/2026
A note from Pastor Mike:
Today marks 20 years at the church. Attached is a picture of me I took for the Centinel newspaper right before I arrived. Ah, 30-year-old me.
I've posted quite a bit this week on our church FB page after a long hiatus of posting anything but worship services. Yet the end of July is always a time of celebration for me and the church. The annual MFD benefit, the anniversary of the Free Community Produce Table and my anniversary at my home and the church collide and it all makes me reflect on how blessed I am. My joy has been overflowing.
This past week, I thought several times, this is the greatest job I could have ever hoped for. At one point I said out loud while working on preparing the meal with my sons and folks from our community, "My job is so cool."
It's been a perfect fit for me, and that's because the community of Morrison and all the other towns I am a part of are full of such great kind and down-to-earth people. To be able to serve our area has always been fulfilling. There are so many people who want to make this world a better place, and I have been able to be a leader for them, a companion beside them, as well as an ever-learning student from them.
On top of it, I'm blessed to still live out in the country at Hamilton Grove and have so many amazing outdoor opportunities nearby in which I can play and relax.
To have been able to have stayed put for this many years, and while being in the midst of raising a family, really is an answer to prayers.
I would like to give thanks to one and all who have been part of my life here in Whiteside County, and most of all, to my family at the First Presbyterian Church of Morrison, IL for supporting me, Katie and the boys. What a journey we have had so far. Here's to our time ahead!