I (Matthew) have been serving as Worship Director at Restoration for the last four years, and it has been a great life experience. I have learned a lot, and I’ve experienced a lot of joy, especially in the times that I have gotten to be a part of people’s development of their musical skills, their personal life or in their faith and walk with God.
In the midst of that, I’ve also experienced a great many moments where it was very clear that I was not fully equipped to serve this church the way I truly needed to serve it, mostly in the area of administrative leadership. I have made some improvement in this area, but as I look back on the last four years, where the church is at now and where it’s going, I’ve come to the realization that I am not able to lead the church through this with the skill that Restoration really needs and deserves, and looking back on my very slow improvement progress over these four years, I don’t know if I am willing, or if I even can, get to where I need to be in time to lead us through this next leg of our journey.
On top of this, I have two young children at home, one of which has some significant health problems that we seem to be discovering more of every couple months. This makes balancing family and ministry a challenge on top of what I’m already struggling with just in this ministry job alone. Restoration has been incredibly considerate, kind and flexible in helping me with that balance, but between my administration deficit causing me to bring some work home with me, and just the very nature of ministry being a job that often comes home with you or pops up outside of the normal work hours on occasion, it seems it would not only be better for the church, but better for my family, for me to step down from this position.
I say this with a heaviness in my heart because I still love each and every one of you, and there were many things that I loved and still love about ministering to you in this position, but I need to do what is best for all if I truly believe that, and I believe that what is best is to make way for someone who can step in to my position and lead Restoration in the way it truly needs.
I also want to add that Amanda and I didn’t even give a second thought to whether or not we want to stay at the church as we processed this decision; we fell in love with this church almost literally from our first visit, and as long as you will have us and as long as we are able, we would love to remain a part of this body.
Though this decision is very hard for me to make, I believe that it is the best course of action for the church, and for my family. I have continued to pray on it and seek God and the counsel of others on it, and I remain convinced of this and have peace with this decision amidst the heartache I feel about it. I want the church to flourish, I believe it can under someone else, and I want to make room for Restoration to be at its best, especially as we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, and an upcoming location change.
Thank you for all the love and support you have given my family and myself as one of your leaders. I cherish it now and will continue to cherish it, and look forward to what God has in store for the church, and for my family, and it brings me great joy to know that I am not saying goodbye to you in this transition, but will continue to grow in Christ alongside you in a new way.
Matthew Goerdt
Pastor and Leadership Team Response:
It is with a heart full of love, care and passion for Restoration and for the Goerdt family that we accept Matthew’s decision. We appreciate Matthew and the many gifts that he has shared with Restoration. He has humbly led the worship team with an open heart and mind. He has called forward and invested in untapped musical interests in his volunteer team.
He has worked with his team to create original songs, worship moments, and engaging online videos. He has faced into the changing tides of 2020 with a willingness to try new things and a devotion to making things work the best he can. Matthew is an exceptional example of servant leadership and has excelled in mentoring and encouraging new musicians. We are grateful and excited that Matthew will continue to call Restoration his home and use his talents to bless us and glorify God. It speaks to the quality of Matthew’s character that he desires to continue to offer his worship and musicianship at Restoration, and we are grateful for that.
We look forward to honoring Matthew publicly before he transitions out of his current role. Matthew and the leadership team are committed to work together on this transition. Matthew is willing and able to stay on for 8-12 weeks as we discern what is next and what we need. This will mean processing our emotions and having honest conversations of what God is inviting us to in worship, and likely, seeking a new worship director. Please reach out to the leadership team if you have questions, concerns or suggestions: lt@restorationcov.org.