To my Lifeline/Compassionate Touch Family
By Justin Thompson – New Executive Director
In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “Let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.” These words impacted me as I found myself surrounded by Christian brothers and sisters in my new role as Executive Director of Lifeline Chaplaincy and Compassionate Touch. This phenomenal group of servants profoundly cares for the missions of these organizations, and it is nothing but God’s grace that has gifted us this community.
My backstory: I come to Lifeline Chaplaincy and Compassionate Touch after more than a decade of church-planting missions in Peru. God graced my life then with an incredible team of individuals, and we journeyed together through the joys and challenges of life. We prayed for and with each other and labored together toward a common goal. My constant prayer for the work that would follow our time as cross-cultural missionaries regarded team and family. I wanted to work in a place that felt like family, one that admonished me and allowed me to encourage them. These words communicate the type of leader that I believe the Lord has called me to be.
God has gifted Lifeline Chaplaincy and Compassionate Touch with servants who do what they love and love what they do. I have learned from Virgil and so many others connected to the LC/CT family that this organization—this family—did not come about by accident. We stand where we are today because of God’s grace. We are who we are by His grace alone. And we will continue to stand together and serve side-by-side as the Lord continues to extend his grace to our family. It is a joy and privilege to step into the organization and role that, by God’s grace, has had and will continue to have throughout the state of Texas, the country, and the world for many years to come. I am thankful for the hours that our staff, volunteers, and supporters have put into this ministry through service, prayer, and giving. It is a potent reminder of how deep and wide this organization is and can be as we step forward together into God’s future for these organizations.