March 26th, 2026
Good morning Church Family! I hope you’re doing well as we have officially crossed the threshold into spring this past week. Thank you Jesus for this weather!
Today marks one year since my first day as Ministry Intern at PCC on March 26th, 2025. I’d like to share with you the events that took place leading up to that day. Let’s begin in 2022…
During my second summer on staff at Wonder Valley Christian Camp, I was in between semesters as a sophomore at Johnson University Online. It was at WV Camp that I developed a friendship with a fella named Graham Jones, who many accused of being my long lost brother. As someone who also took the online Bible College route, Graham knew I would need to complete an internship soon, and he had a fresh gig at a Church in Paoli that allegedly “would be a great place to intern at”. I took those words and considered them, but then proceeded to delay that internship the following year in exchange for a third summer at WVCC… and once again the following year. It’s safe to say I think highly of the folks over in Salem.
Following my proposal to my now-wife, Camille, I was approaching graduation fast, and I realized that, if PCC would allow it, I needed to get the ball rolling on that internship ASAP. After much convincing and an intimidating interview with the elders and senior pastor, a start date in late March was agreed upon… That day just so happened to fall 12 days after the passing of Gary Swick, and the circumstances surrounding my internship changed quickly. I would be entering a congregation in the middle of their darkest hour, and although I did not know him well, the passing of Gary brought me sorrow in that I would never get the opportunity to learn from him and experience the amazing man that he was. I was unsure of how the Lord would use the tragic situation for good, but all I could do at that point was trust Him.
There’s always been a fear within me when it comes to ministry. I felt the call, I was doing the schooling, but I knew that going out and doing an internship would make it real… so I pushed it off. I let fear control me. Nevertheless, the Lord took my lumps of coal and turned them into diamonds, for His timing is perfect. In a three year window of floating around the idea, somehow my internship ended up falling at the exact time help was needed the most at PCC. I am reminded a year later of the Lord’s fingerprints being all over these events. As I write this, I am still unsure of every single detail of God’s plans for my life going forward, but if there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that I don’t have to know. I trust that He has a plan, and it’s a lot better than anything I could come up with. I encourage you to embrace that same trust in the Lord as you go about your day.
In Him,
Peyton