To Our Hebron Family,
Thirty-five years ago, my mother first brought my brother and me to Hebron. When I was 8-years-old, I would sit in the second row in front of the pulpit while my mom sang in the choir and my brother sat with the teenagers in the last row of the balcony. As a teen, with Jerry and other Hebron youth, I cut grass for many of you, earning money to go to as many camps and retreats as I could. I came to know Christ and continued to grow in my faith because of those camps.
When I was a college student, you hired me as a summer intern, continuing to invest in my education and training in ministry. After Carrie and I got married in that hot, not yet air conditioned, sanctuary in September 2001, you hired us both as Youth Ministry Associates. You then trusted me to help plant the new worship service after Barclay was built. When Rob Krogh, our worship leader, left to start his family in North Carolina, you asked if I would take on that role. I was untrained in anything related to worship leadership, but together we put our faith and trust in the Lord, and He enabled me to lead a service of over 200 people in song every week. When children came along, Carrie was afforded the ability to go part-time. When our youngest, Soren, was school-aged Carrie was brought back on full-time. And then five years ago, you helped support me to pursue a Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary. Throughout all this time, Hebron has always provided for the Hendricksons.
At the same time, 20 years ago, Dan Weightman (who also grew up at Hebron) and his wife, Kelly, took a step in faith away from Hebron to start the Caribbean Youth Network (CYN) on Long Island, Bahamas. Throughout these 20 years, Hebron has continued to financially and prayerfully support the Weightmans and the expanding CYN ministries to Nassau, and Abaco Islands.
It is with excitement, humility, and many other emotions that I announce that Carrie and I have been called by God to join CYN on Abaco. Hebron has prepared us for this ministry in ways that none of us could have ever imagined. Marsh Harbour, Abaco, was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in September of last year. Years of manual labor and driving around as a teenager in John Duff’s green truck, has prepared me to work hard and build relationships of encouragement while working. The tragedies that Carrie and I have been privileged to walk through within our Hebron family have prepared us to walk alongside Abaconians who are having to rebuild their lives after watching their homes destroyed and friends perish in the storm.
In my years at Hebron, you have raised up and sent out at least 11 vocational ministry workers. Carrie and I see ourselves in the same light. Hebron is extending her arm of the ministry to a new place. While we will be leaving the Hebron staff, we are still representing Hebron, and more importantly growing the body of Christ in the world.
We ask for your prayer for this endeavor. It is a big transition for us. We ask you to pray for the leadership of Hebron as they continue to seek to Lord's guidance in growing the Church of Christ. We ask you to pray for us, that we will walk through every door the Lord opens for us. We also will be asking for your financial support. We know that we would not be where we are today without your constant and regular giving to Hebron so in no way do we want to see your support to the ministry of Hebron be reduced. What we are asking is that you will be able to expand your giving, knowing that God loves a cheerful giver. He is the one who has provided for all of us, and He is the one who will continue to provide as we step out in faith trusting Him.
There are many questions that still need to be answered. We are in the process of figuring them out with the leadership of Hebron. Please continue praying for Hebron, and consider starting to pray for Abaco, as we look to join them sometime later this year.
Barrett
