Letter from Pastor Mike | Sunday Services - July 17th and 24th

July 7, 2022

Hello Church,

The WORLD is coming to Eugene. Have you heard this expression lately? It’s beginning to sink in. And when the world comes to Eugene they will be at Hayward Field about 9 blocks away from where we gather on Sunday Evenings for worship.

The staff and I have been digesting the realities of this global event. While thrilled our beloved city is showcased in this way, and humbled to have so many visitors, the campus area is simply going to be unpredictable and full. 25,000 attendees per day, 2,700 athletes (plus their coaching teams), 300+ news outlets from every corner of the globe with an anticipated 1 billion viewers. Roads will be closed around the campus, shuttles will be transporting people, and the buzz will be palatable.

This extrovert is pretty excited about it all and looks forward to diving in and absorbing the event. AND The Box will be shared by the OneHope Network to host “An evening of Inspiration and Empowerment with Olympic High Jump Silver Medalist Nicola McDermott” leading up the the Worlds. I hope you can make it to the worship event. Mark your calendar for 6:30pm on Thursday, July 14th. I know many of you have met Nicola when she visited CS in May!

All that said, when it comes to Sunday Worship Services the scale of this event will undoubtedly make it a logistical challenge for our members to gather in worship.

We have made the decision to “lean into our strengths as a small church” and nimbly move our gathering out to the country. Specifically to Pastor John’s property, in Pleasant Hill. Which has affectionately served as a living room for CitySalt over many many years.

If you are one of the newer faces in the congregation since the pandemic you may not have been to Pastor John’s property yet. While I prefer to not publish his address on such a public platform, I’d love to share it personally and make sure you make it! My cell phone number is 541-505-6770. Text me!

I am genuinely excited for these two special Sundays that we are calling “Backporch Church.” I really look forward to worshiping under the oaks on a beautiful summer evening with you all.

Sincerely,
Pastor Mike


The Details:

  • Two impacted Sundays, July 17th and July 24th

  • Bring your own picnic dinner from 4:30-5:30pm

  • Special intimate service will be from 5:30-6:30pm

  • Service will be live streamed via Facebook Live

  • Families will be together

  • Worship will be acoustic

  • Prayers for the world

  • Sharing will come from multiple voices

Special Announcement from Pastor Dusty | June 24, 2021

June 24, 2021

Dear Friends of CitySalt,

It is with deep love and conflicted emotions that I let you in on some upcoming changes relating to me that impact our shared-life as a church.

I want to take this time to share with you my decision to step aside as lead pastor in the weeks ahead. Though it has been rumbling in my heart for a couple of years, this decision has been wrestled out in prayer, processed through with loved ones, and has finally landed in my soul as God’s plan and way forward.

As you may know, I have had the privilege of being the lead pastor of CitySalt for the past 12 years. It has been a sweet and memorable journey that has marked my life for the good, and has taught me so much about God’s goodness and His presence among our community of believers. You may also be surprised to know that I have served in various full-time ministry roles as a Foursquare minister for 27 years. These years have been packed full of beautiful people and transforming experiences that have deepened my faith, seasoned my calling, and certainly influenced the person I am today.

I want to express my appreciation for the love, support and trust that you and others have given me (and of course, the grace when my immaturity may have been obvious ;). For me, this announcement is bittersweet—sad for the necessary ending, but exciting for the new beginning for CitySalt and for me. This change will allow me to explore new ways of contributing to our greater community and to be more intentional with how I spend time with my family. At first you might see this as unfortunate timing, given the impact of the pandemic. At moments, I thought that way too. But after much prayer and consideration, I believe it is actually perfect timing, as our church will need to come together with fresh purpose and vision around what God is doing in the days ahead. I will simply not be the one to lead it this time around.

As appropriate steps are taken to walk through this coming change, I have absolute confidence in our leaders. Pastors Mike and John have been close as I have processed this decision. They along with our ministry leaders and church council will be guided by our Foursquare District representative (David Eddy) who will come alongside us as we navigate this season together. My last Sunday will be August 29 and more information will soon follow. In the meantime, there is much to do. There will be tasks to undertake and conversations to be had. And there will be tears, hugs, laughter and tender words for sure. All of this is a necessary part of grieving, celebrating, and believing God for the new and good that will be around this corner.

As we move ahead, I would like to invite you to a couple of things: 1) Please be in prayer as we seek God together and prepare for the future. 2) I also invite you to join us this weekend for our Big Table Sunday on June 27, where I will take time to provide further details as we begin to walk through this together. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there to hear my heart, say some prayers, and partake in the Lord’s Table together. I love and appreciate you dearly and hope to see you this Sunday!

Gratefully yours,

Pastor Dusty (and Julia)

A physical copy of this special announcement has also been mailed and should be arriving soon (if we have your correct address.)