Mike Lynch - Elder Candidate
Our leadership joyfully and whole-heartedly places Mike Lynch before you as an elder candidate. While we do not vote on elder candidates at Harbor, we do invite you to respond to our leadership team regarding whether you believe a candidate is qualified in their love for Jesus, people, and personal character to help lead our church body. If you have questions or concerns regarding Mike, please contact our elders by sending a signed letter to Harbor’s office. Thank you! Here is Mike’s story:
Growing up in a devout Catholic home, I was taught a simple, deep devotion to God and the teachings of the church. By college, I had completely abandoned my faith and spiraled downward morally and academically. I knew deep inside that what had to change was me; yet, I didn’t know how to accomplish that. Katie & I had been dating several months when she announced one night that she “had to get right with God.” She bought me a bible, which I began to read avidly. I remember feeling like whoever wrote this book knew me! Soon after, she brought me to hear a speaker talk about God. That night my doubts and guilt met the love and mercy of God in Christ, and I left that auditorium a new creation. That was January of 1977. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor. 5:17.
My early spiritual growth was guided by the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ at Boston College, which helped me learn to live in a more Christ-like way and as an ambassador for Christ. By graduation, I was feeling a call to ministry, and since I had been preparing to become a high school teacher, working to help young people find new life in Christ became the focus. Katie enthusiastically agreed and so we decided to get married and pursue that mission with CCC together. “Go and make disciples…” Mt 28:18
We did that for 15 years until we accepted a youth position at a church in Chelmsford, where I eventually became the pastor. Serving that church was a joy, but eventually I felt the call to go start a new church, which we planted in Littleton in 2005. That effort started out great but ended poorly three years later, leaving us devastated and disillusioned. That is when we found Harbor and became a part of this wonderful spiritual family. The year was 2009. The same year, I began teaching math and physics at Lawrence High School.
It took some time, but the Christ-centered atmosphere of worship at Harbor combined with the patient love and grace of the pastors here resulted in a substantial amount of spiritual healing in my heart. A Christian counselor also played a huge part in helping me recover. After a time, as faith was restored, I was able to think about serving again, and have enjoyed being a part of the worship and coffee teams, small groups, and various community outreach projects. Katie & I really love this faith community!
So now, as the pastors have asked me to consider becoming an elder, the question is, “Where am I spiritually today?” Honestly, I am still healing. What I have now is a rebuilding faith. A faith firmly centered on Jesus: His grace, His Cross, His resurrection. A faith that still clings to hope in the future He has prepared for me, a faith that has been tempered by personal failure and loss. I trust God’s Word and I pray, believing that God hears and answers as He sees fit. I sense my position at Lawrence HS is not just as a teacher of math and physics but as a representative of Christ. I feel like my classroom is an extension of the safe harbor that is this church. I often have spiritual talks with students, and pray for them and my colleagues all the time, and every now and then, when God opens a door, I pray with them too. I treasure those opportunities.
I am sympathetic to those who hurt and struggle with God. I have a special heart for those in Christian ministry who may at times endure the same pressures I have felt. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be part of the community at Harbor, and now I look forward to serving those who lead the church and being an encouraging and listening ear for them. Finally, I look forward to serving, encouraging, and praying for the people of Harbor!