INN Transition
Over two decades ago I arrived in Bellingham to transfer into WWU, a school I had never stepped foot on until the first day of class. In the years since leaving my home in Southern California, I had spent a few years in the mid-west and a year in Europe. It would be this most recent move where I would find the place that would become home.
I would come to love my experience at WWU of which the INN would play a large part. It was here that I would feel my faith come alive in the midst of the rich dynamic I experienced between WWU and the INN. Little did I know back then just how significant the INN would be in my story.
Reflecting back, I’ve realized that I’ve been apart of the INN in just about every conceivable way.
• As a new student sitting in the back wondering if this community would be a place to belong to as I wrestled with my own doubts and questions of calling.
• As a student leader in various forms learning how to serve my peers and the world.
• As and intern and then a staff member tasked with stewardship of the community that had welcomed me.
• As an alumni mentoring student leaders.
• And then 12 years later, called back to Bellingham as the INN’s first alumni director.
When I eventually went to seminary, it would be the conversations and experiences at the INN that I would think of as I wrote papers and imagined what kind place I might eventually be called to.
The INN has been a place to wrestle with the relevance of Jesus and the Gospel for culture, academics, work, identity, and life to discover just how expansive the wisdom of Jesus really is.
The INN has been a place where I’ve seen the Spirit work powerfully through men and women, who have inspired me, humbled me and continue to teach me.
Seeing the creativity, courage and faith of young adults risking beyond themselves to trust in Jesus and experience first hand the deep goodness and power of God has been one of my greatest joys.
What I have seen, what I see right now, gives me hope for the future as Jesus continues to write new fearless stories in the lives of men and women who authentically encounter and trust in him.
And so it is with a mix of sadness and hope that Shannon and I have come to the conclusion that our current chapter at the INN is coming to an end. For a while now, Shannon and I have both felt that there is something next that God has for both of us and that it’s time for me to step out in faith to discover what that is and prepare the way for the next director. While we have had exciting glimmers here and there of what that might be as well a real sense of the Spirit’s leading in our lives, we don’t know exactly what it means. What we do know is that we feel particularly called to Bellingham and have only grown in our love for this place these last six years.
As I look forward in expectation for what Jesus has in store personally, I’m equally excited to see what’s in store for the INN as new stewardship of the INN is passed to new leadership.
The words of Oswald Chambers from January 2nd are particularly challenging and encouraging for us right now as we focus on the character of a trustworthy and miracle working God.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
Have you ever “gone out” in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, “What do you expect to do?” You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing.
Times of transition raise a lot of questions that will be answered over the coming months. In the meantime though here’s what we do know.
• Evan Bryant’s season at the INN is also coming to a close this summer, as he takes all that he has learned around creative direction in arts, music and media to pursue his own creative production and design company. It’s been incredible witnessing his unique creative gifts combine with his heart for coaching and leadership development over the last five years. INN Sessions is but one tangible example of the ways he has cultivated the creativity and gifts of students.
• Our current intern, Jessie Raetz, will be moving into a full time staff role at the end of this year and I couldn’t be more proud or more confident in her leadership.
• Starting April 4th, the search process for the next director is officially open and ideally I hope to introduce that person to the INN before the end of the school year. If you have any questions you can contact Becca Niemeyer at [email protected] or 360.734.5510 ext 216. INN Director Job Description
• Evan and I aren’t stepping down until the summer and are excited to spend this final quarter serving the INN community we dearly love.
It has been a privilege to serve as the director of this dynamic community that has blessed countless lives over the years and I’m so thankful for the many prayers, support and encouragement offered by so many who have been committed to mission the INN.
With gratitude - Jon Epps
