Meet Thomas and LeAnn Derr!
Thomas Derr is our youth pastor candidate. He grew up in Lancaster and graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 2018. After high school Thomas worked at Chick Fil A, where he was invited to attend the young adult ministry at Calvary Church. Thomas accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior while at Calvary and began volunteering with the youth ministry there.
Thomas felt a call to ministry and enrolled at Lancaster Bible College, graduating in 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Pastoral Studies. He is currently working at El’s Door Sales full-time and has been looking for a ministry position in a local church.
It was at Chick Fil A that Thomas met LeAnn. LeAnn grew up in Willow Street and graduated from Lampeter Strasburg High School before going on to earn both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Counseling from Clarks Summit University in Scranton. LeAnn currently works as an At-Home Family Therapist for Pennsylvania Counseling Services.
The Derrs were married last June. They currently live in Harrisburg with their cats Ghost and Gibert but will be moving to Strasburg in August. Thomas and LeAnn enjoy reading, movies, running and spending time with their family and friends.
Thomas’ favorite Bible verses are Ephesians 2:8-10:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
and Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
LeAnn’s favorite Bible passage is 1 Peter 1:3-9
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
When I asked Thomas about the thing about coming to Andrews Bridge to work with our youth that excites him the most he replied “Continuing to build and grow the ministry and working with Pastor Scott to get the youth involved with the vision for the church.”
re’s what’s happening:
- “Meet the Derrs” Sunday for the youth is this Sunday. Thomas will be giving his testimony during the morning worship service. After the service the youth and their parents are invited to head downstairs for lunch. Please bring a hot and a cold dish to share. We’ll have lunch together and then have a time of “Q &A” with Thomas and LeAnn. We’ll look to wrap things up by 1pm.
- If you haven’t filled out a vision survey, please do so by Sunday. You can participate in the survey by clicking here. If you prefer, paper copies of the survey are available.
- We are having a combined youth activity on Sunday, May 19 after the worship service, as we hike to the White Cliffs of Conoy. We’ll be gathering after the worship service to carpool to the Phillips home for lunch and then head to the trailhead (Koser Park in Bainbridge) by about 1:30. It’s a mile and half walk to the cliffs from the trailhead. You can stay up on top of them or you can take a side trail down around them to get down to the river. We should have everyone back to the church by 5 pm at the latest. Please see Tracy Alexander for a permission slip and have it returned by 5/12 so we can arrange for transportation. You can check out the cliffs by clicking here.
- VBS (6/10-6/14) is coming up quickly. Please be thinking about how you can help!
- Baptism Sunday is 8/25. If you would like to be baptized that morning, please let me know.
- Prayer Request – Laverne Fronefield’s daughter-in-law Mary Jo Cochrane is having a cancer-screening procedure done tomorrow.
The story of how David becomes king over all of Israel has already had a number of twists and turns and ups and downs, but the roller coaster continues this week. Saul has died in battle, which would seem to pave the way for David to become king. First, however, he needs to unite the people. On Sunday we will look at David’s method for achieving unity and learn what must be present for there to be unity…whether it’s within a family, a workplace, a community, a church or even a nation!
Have a great weekend,
Scott