Retirement Well-Wishes for Shannon Youell
CBWC’s Director of Church Planting Rev. Shannon Youell is approaching her retirement later this spring. She has served our churches faithfully since 2014. If you have a story, message, or memory to share with Shannon, add a post to her kudoboard here by May 15: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/LiGYVnUt
Here’s what the Executive Staff have to say about Shannon:
“Shannon, you are a joy to know and to spend time with. Your spunky spirit and spontaneous laughter have brought a lightness to leadership conversations, and your friendship has been and is a gift. You will be deeply missed. Here's to the 3 musketeers!” Esther Kitchener
“I have always loved your love for the church. Through many joys and many challenges, you have never stopped working toward seeing God's gathered people fulfil His mission on earth. Thank you for your steadfastness. I will certainly miss serving alongside you but am excited for whatever good purposes God has for you next. Blessings!” Peter Anderson
“Shannon has been an invaluable member of the Executive Staff. Her ministry is far more than church planting. I have very much appreciated her contributing presence on MCC, her contributions to Ordination Preparation Workshop, as well as Ordination Examining Council. We have laughed a lot, and I have learned much from her, and though she will be missed, I very much wish her a fabulous retirement, and am sure that her family will appreciate having her around more.” Mark Doerksen
"Shannon was a lot of fun to work with! She could be serious and focused but enjoyed having fun with our team. One of the things that stood out to me about working with Shannon is her heart for people. While she is a capable person and could be called upon for her experience or expertise, her intention always boiled down to loving God and loving others." Tim Kerber
“While I only had the pleasure of working with you for a little over one year, I truly appreciated the time together. Your wisdom and experience in working with difficult situations (we'll call them "churches") was a wonderful asset to our executive team. I also really appreciated your willingness to share your resources and experiences in order to help me grow in my role. This is a testimony to your humility and integrity in serving our Lord by serving His churches. Know that you will be missed indeed as you move into the next season that God is calling you into.” Brian Louw
“Shannon’s energy and enthusiasm make her a joy to serve alongside. She is a gifted leader who loves the church and seeks earnestly to follow Jesus on His mission. Thanks, Shannon, for the wisdom and fervor you brought to our team for so many years. I’m deeply grateful for you and to be able to call you a friend!!” Rob Ogilvie
I have so many wonderful (and funny) memories with Shannon while serving with her on Executive Staff. My friend—we have laughed together, cried together, and enjoyed long conversations in some very lovely spaces. You are thoughtful, intelligent, caring, and tough as nails. You are a woman who demonstrates what it means to love the Lord with all her heart and soul and mind. I am going to miss you terribly. I wish you many happy days working in your garden and strolling along the beaches near your home. Louanne Haugan
I have known Shannon since 2014, when she was hired as the Director of Church Planting, replacing Tom Lavigne. Working with her since then, I truly admired her strength in her work in encouraging new church plants to be established and scouting around for potential partnerships with existing churches to commit to planting a new church when the doors are opened to the opportunity, as the Lord leads. She is a tireless servant of the Lord, and she has shared many experiences where she has seen success and failures at the same time. A truly transparent worker for the Lord and seemingly following her heart’s calling as the Lord leads her as such opportunities arise. I will be praying for Shannon as she transitions into a different phase of her life, enjoying her golden years, as is. Thank you, Shannon, for all that you have done for the CBWC and her constituencies! Victor Ku
