October | 2024 | The Kepner Family

I have a new calling, to be a pastor of Pole Line Road Baptist Church in Davis, CA. This will end my time as an employee of Cru. In this time of transition, I wanted to remember and say thank you.

Thank you Jessica, for inviting me to Cru. I can’t remember your last name, but I remember that we became friends in our dorm and you invited me to church my freshman year at Cal Poly SLO. We started going to Cru, and even though you left after a quarter because of the pain in your wrists, I’ll never forget how God used you to play a significant role in my life with Him. Thank you.

I remember going to Cru meetings, trying to figure out what was going on, what people were talking about. though I had a church background, I feel like I was asleep all growing up (literally at times, which is a problem because I snore). But people accepted me, loved me, cared for me. I remember Natalie getting up and saying she didn’t have anxiety any more, but peace, for God helped her ‘not worry about tomorrow, because today has enough trouble of it’s own’. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you everyone for helping me find belonging.

Thank you Txxx, for talking to me at Starbucks, asking me questions, helping me start to meet with your husband xxxxx. Thank you xxxx, for going through new believer follow-up with me, helping me understand the gospel. Thank you for inviting me into your home for bible study with a bunch of senior guys. Thank you for making me feel normal by teaching me how to juggle, talking about life and teaching me the Word. Thank you for that men’s Bible study that helped. I remember one week when I just had a breakdown, and instead of pushing through and doing bible study, you stopped and cared for me. It remains a powerful memory and example of love and leadership to this day.

Thank you to Carrie Virtue and Jenn Ludwig who helped my freshman year to learn how to read the Bible. Thank you Joel Limpic, for teaching me and so many more how to worship God (Hallé, Tommy, Josh, Kurt, Holly, Josh, Chris, Travis, and so many more), and for being my prayer partner because it’s the only thing you could possibly think to do for me. Thank you Tim Romano for saving my life, literally, after you buried me alive, literally. Thanks Corey, for being my Central Valley buddy who I could fellowship with during the summers. Thank you Steve Bratton and Aaron Welch for leading a freshman Bible study my sophomore year, and for Tim Kirchner and Jeff Wood for being good friends in that bible study. Thanks to my AGO brothers for helping me so much to learn how to be in community.

Thank you Ken Virzi, for giving me vision for the Kingdom of God, Victoria Vance, for stability and steadfastness, to Jamey and Gretchen Pappas for inviting me into your home (or just let me in when I showed up at the door to play with your kids). You helped me see a healthy marriage and family. You helped me love God with all my mind, we SLO kids CAN handle that. Thank you for bible study my Jr, Sr and volunteer year (thanks guys). Thanks Molly, Christine and Erin for being great staff members in those early years, and I’m thankful we’ve remained friends. Thanks Erin for bringing Kent Matsui to the mainland and into my life.

Thank you Todd Peterson and Noah Stokes for Red Canary Productions, for letting a total dork of a kid be in some videos. It changed my life. I walked around campus hearing ‘It’s the Captain’ from random people over and over. What a surreal time. Thanks Ed Bort and Jimmy Williams for being great roommates and doing Settlers till dawn.

Thank you Andrew Paulsen for co-leading bible study with me for 2 years. Thank you Josh Soderlund for letting me ‘disciple’ you, even though you were older in years and in the faith. I remember getting to meet with Jack, a Chinese international student, him coming to faith and getting baptized in the Rec Center pool. It was amazing.

God did amazing things in SLO during those years as a student and volunteer. We learned how to worship, how to be a community, how to go through tragedy, how to reach out to others. I remember worship nights, bonfires, dinners-for-8, ‘I agree with Jimmy’, newspaper opinion page evangelism, Guns n’ God weekend, 24 hour prayer chains at the Mustang, seeing people come to faith during sharing times, popcorn or jello at W8 meetings, the Silo, Mott Gym, the PAC, Chumash, leading worship during summer Cru, camping in Big Sur and playing tree tag (Matt Nguyen), leadership meetings, Friday hikes or ultimate frisbee. My life was changed by God through so many of you. I remember so many more names and faces, even if you’re not mentioned specifically. Thanks for an amazing time.

Then off to UC Berkeley. Thank you students for welcoming me in. Thank you for Brad, Holly and Daniel for being a great staff team, as well as Kenny. Thank you Daniel for being a mystical, teaching me to pray and wait on God. I’ve needed it over and over. Thanks for the Dead Missionary Society. Thanks Holly for being so passionate about teaching and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thanks Brad for taking me to my first house church. Thanks for letting me go and pursue Lori. I’m sure that was disappointing to lose a staff member after 1 semester.

I remember ‘03 Lake Tahoe Summer Project, trying to find cell phone coverage to talk to Lori. Writing love letters. Thanks to my men’s group and our family group for sitting around in camp chairs having so many conversations. It was amazing.

South Dakota. Thanks Brian Kolling and Sara for leading the team. Thanks Dave Newendorp (for teaching me disc golf) and Dusty Hoffman for being roommates while I was engaged. Thank you Rick Pridey for having one of the most meaningful conversations of my life, confronting me through tears for how I was acting. Thanks Shanda for being a great teammate. Thanks Wendy Coble and Neil Downey for leading the USD ministry together. I remember counting cards in the ditch on the way down to Vermillion. If we hit 25 we would turn around because the weather was too bad. I remember ice cream cakes for leadership meetings. I remember freezing when I would drive home in my van, because the heater didn’t work any more. Thanks for Amber, Sara, Amy, Joy, Kyle, Dan, Barry, Chris, Dana (the first grad student I got to minister to and alongside), and so many others. I see your faces and remember praying with you and for you.

Thank you Steve Douglass for sitting down with an intern and his wife to talk to us individually at a Life Options conference. What humility from the president of a worldwide ministry. You encouraged me to go to seminary, because there’s not enough missionary theologians in the world. Thanks to Dennis Kaspar for having Lori join the Cru Legal Team, and being a great leader to her for all those years.

Thank you supporters. Some of you started when I did, in 2002. Some of you have been with me the whole time. I can’t believe that you would choose to give to God on behalf of a kid like me. Many of you started giving to Lori and I in 2005 and have kept with us all these years. Some came along later. I’m so very thankful for your prayers. We could not have made it without you. It wouldn’t have been possible to minister the gospel to college students and professors, to provide legal support, to teach bible classes, to go on mission trips, to lead summer missions, to grow our family or anything without knowing that you had the other end of the rope. You have called us, prayed for us, given to us regularly, give to us when we’ve had special needs. You enabled us to focus on the ministry, because we always knew you were on our side and there if we ever needed you, and we did. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

In Santa Barbara. Thank you Ken and Tori again for leading. Jon and Amy Eastwood, Kari Heywood, Chris Comstock, Josh Thomas, Brett Jensen, Karissa Bramer, Crystal Conroy (boy I hope I didn’t miss anyone). Meeting in the tent in Isla Vista, ministering to people partying, ‘I Confess… outreach. Thank you Ken, for letting me have your sophomore bible study. Those Bible studies are some of my best memories on staff. Thanks for the disc, it still hangs in my office. I’m proud of you all and still pray for you whenever I think of you (Tim, Austin, Wes, Ken, Tyler, Matt, Josh, Cliff…I feel like I’m forgetting someone, and I’m sorry). We got to go to the Ocean City Summer Project with little Isaiah in tow. I’m thankful for those days of working with guys in the military, surfer dudes, future doctors, future missionaries and so many more.

Then off to Flagstaff. Lifelines. Thank you Dave Blakkolb and Rita Greenwell. Rita, your exposure to the Organic Church changed my ministry philosophy. Dave, your leadership in grace and truth transformed me. Curt and Jana Hannover, Aaron Erkman, Chris and Elizabeth Guilbeau, Laura Patterson. I remember Rachel reaching out to Erika and Alli. There was Regina, Laura, Greg, Nate, Brendon, Lia, Leah, Meghan, Kristina and Sara and many other who are so precious to us. I remember paintball and mountain biking and climbing. I remember Frank always falling asleep coming home from every outing. Men’s trips to Moab, camping in Utah and hiking Buckskin gulch, the aspens and the desert. Bethany was born (I almost missed the birth because I was mountain biking in Sedona). I remember the Lifelines summer mission, meeting Logan and so many other good friends. I remember a lot of students coming to Christ. I remember taking everyone who visited to the Grand Canyon, which we were very willing to do.

Then leading the ‘09 Summer mission to The Dominican Republic. Thank you Steve and Andrea Cabrillos and Lori for co-leading with me. It remains one of the best projects I’ve ever done with Cru, and I’m thankful we got to do it together. Thank you Leyla Abreu and Prospero for hosting us, for sticking with it, for working together. Thank you for the students on the team. It was a great missional community.

I wrote a letter to Cru leadership asking to move to Santa Cruz and start Cru there, but they asked me to stay in Flagstaff. I’m so thankful they did. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten to work with Carolyn, Scott or Andrew and Leah. I was transformed by my relationships with Annie, Star, Dylan, Eric, Rich, Andrew,Oscar, Laurie, Mikayla, Sara, Kaitlyn, Shinaya, Kim, Hannah, Mersaydes and so many others (i know I’m not remembering nearly everyone, I’m sorry. I know Lori’s women’s Bible study was so important to her and to me as well). I remember playing ultimate most Fridays, even if it was snowing. I remember riding my scooter even if it was single digits. I’m thankful for so many friends, and for the church communities of Grace Church and Flagstaff Christian Fellowship. Thank you pastors Steve Cole, Dan Barton and Stan Johnson. Thank you Flagstaff friends for mountain bike rides, game nights, MOPS, BYO food picnics at our house or in parks. In those years I went back to the Dominican Republic a few times, got to go with Chris and Vanessa Warren, who remain great friends. I led the San Diego Express summer mission, which was great fun (thank you Jenn Hu for co-leading and thanks Dan Allen for rescuing us). These were some of the best years of our lives, adding Judah to our family, as well as many students. We learned a ton about God, about ministry, about ourselves.

We drove I-40 to LA or down I-15 to San Diego for many conferences, and I can’t even begin to list our staff friends. Over the years, so many mentored us in ministry and in family at winter conferences, staff conferences on the beach or in the mountains, women’s retreats, that one men’s retreat, summer missions, and team leader retreats. I remember so many friends, so many conversations. We would not have made it without you. You were as deep as family. Though we’re now spread out geographically and in jobs. I remember and am thankful. I remember running the book store and staying up past midnight reconciling the cash machines, selling books to staff and students, and going back home with about a 2-3 foot stack of new books every year. I remember leading breakouts, days of outreach. I remember leading the Explore Track on the San Francisco Winter Conference, one of the other greatest projects I led as a staff member. I can’t say enough about the staff family we had. Thank you for leaders in the PSW for caring for us. Thank you for the ops team (esp Drew Aufhammer) for always taking my phone calls. Thanks for the memories.