Jay Gjurgevich Bio

 

July 2019

Approximately one year ago, Pastor Larry informed the church leadership and the congregation of his intent to step down as Senior Pastor and enter another phase of life serving the Lord. At the recommendation of the Senior Pastor Search Committee and the Board of Elders, we are pleased to report that on July 28 the members of North Bible Church voted Jay Gjurgevich to be our next Lead Pastor at North. Jay joined the North staff on August 19.

Jay has been serving in vocational church ministry for over 15 years, in various roles and church settings, in Portland, Tucson, Maricopa and Phoenix. Jay’s experience in serving the local church has been in pastoral leadership roles where he has served by leading and mentoring staff, teaching and preaching, developing discipleship and missional strategies, and providing pastoral care. These roles have provided him with a well-rounded perspective on what it takes to lead and care for a church faithfully. Jay’s experience growing up in Arizona and serving churches in the Western U.S. has given him valuable insight and genuine affection for the unique culture of the Phoenix metro area.

We are confident that God has called Jay and Katie to North to advance our mission to Love God, Love One Another, and Love the World.

Jay and Katie, and their 4 children are happy to be back in Arizona. Please pray for their transition and join us in welcoming them all to North. 

 

 

Letter From Pastor Larry:

 

May 2018
 
Dear North Family,
 
It is hard to imagine that we planted North Bible Church ten years ago. For four years prior to that North was a campus of Scottsdale Bible Church so in all, we have been part of North for fourteen years. It is amazing how fast time flies.
 
Gina and I consider it one of the great blessings in our lives to have served with you all this time. I know some of you have heard rumors that we are retiring soon so I would like to clear up any confusion. I turned sixty-five years old this month and while I feel great and still love what I do, it felt prudent to develop a succession plan. It has always been my conviction that everyone needs a plan. Gina and I along with the staff and elders have been working this through with the idea that I would step aside as senior pastor in the next twelve to eighteen months.
 
At the decade mark of our church, I think it is important to evaluate where we are and consider where we want to go in the future.  It is the natural course of things. You will see some additional changes in the weeks and months ahead as we take an in depth look at all of our ministries and position ourselves for a more productive ministry in the next decade.
 
I want you to know that no one has asked us to step aside and Gina and I really do love what we do. It is my conviction that a good succession plan and healthy transfer of leadership serve you and all our North family best.  That is why I requested the elders and staff to begin succession planning for my transition. I don’t typically call this “retirement” because we plan to stay involved in ministry and serving Christ’s kingdom, but you can use any term you are most comfortable with.
 
Finally, this isn’t a goodbye. It is simply to share our heart and the process we have asked the elders to start.
 
We love you all.
 
Blessings,
 
Larry