ABOUT OUR PASTOR
Rev. Rick Malec
Phone: (951-676-1800), ext. 4
E-mail: pastorrick@temeculaumc.com
OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER
Sally and I were both born and raised in California. We met in 1978 and were married in October, 1979. We planned that l would continue to work for Alpha Beta (a chain of grocery stores for those who are too young to remember). Sally would begin her career as a nurse. But then God came knocking. I returned to school to finish my undergraduate work in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Juvenile Justice. Our journeys took off when we went to Evanston IL, a suburb of Chicago, for my seminary work at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary where we were for three years. We then went to the San Fernando Valley to serve at Reseda UMC and thereafter to Camarillo UMC. After those three years, we moved to Redondo Beach and Rivera UMC for another three years, and then moved again to Escondido UMC for two years. Finally, after nine years at Julian UMC and six more at San Luis Rey Valley UMC in Oceanside, we have come here to Temecula UMC. We have one son, Kenn, who is an aspiring writer in Hollywood. Sally and I enjoy traveling, movies and being together. She finds joy in her art which she has a passion for. I enjoy sports like a junkie. I like time at the beach, serving the community and being with friends and family.
I have learned some things during my journey following God’s call. The first is that the way from point A to point B by a straight line is not the fastest. It is not about being fast. It is about receiving God’s invitation and following God’s way and plan. It is about God’s timing. their faith and their relationship with Christ and living out their faith as they grow in the family of Christ. Finding and growing this strength has led me to ministry and has helped me find other strengths and gifts that have grown to fulfillment of my calling to serve Christ. I invite you to discover a place that you have a passion for, something you have fun doing. I believe that when you realize the passion and joy you have living that passion you will discover a gift you are using to serve Christ. You will discover one or two more gifts you would like to grow to continue your growth in serving Christ. This may be a passion you already have within the life of this Church family. Or it could be a passion for doing something within your community or neighborhood. When we discover our gifts and strengths together, we shall know the direction of the ministry to which God is calling us. But, remember, we cannot be in a hurry, regardless of what has happened before in our lives or in the life of the church family. First and foremost, God wants us to get to know each other as family, discover our passions, strengths and gifts for life and for ministry. God wants us to have good times over the years we shall be family together.
The second thing is that we never journey alone. God is always with us. That is the promise that is part of the covenant God made with Abraham. Besides, God gives companions for the journey. For me it has been Sally, our son Kenn, and other family and good friends. We do not always know the call or the journey we will be asked to travel. The journey may be local or it may be thousands of miles away, but God will be with us to guide us, protect us, and give us hope and strength to follow obediently. So we do not need to feel hurried to get everything we think needs to be done right away. We can relax, discover and get to know one another. We can have some fun in serving Christ and we shall discover where God is calling us to. It is through our passions and where we have fun in our faith and life that God reveals our gifts for life and ministry. I have a passion for working with and serving youth and young people. I like sports very much. So for fourteen years I have coached soccer and baseball. I coached the Julian High School soccer team for seven years, and both soccer and baseball for three years. I was the inaugural soccer coach at Mission Vista High School in Vista for a year. It is my love to serve young people and I believe my call from God has solidified through this passion. It brings much joy to me to walk beside young people, to help them discover and grow in their faith and their relationship with Christ and living out their faith as they grow in the family of Christ.
Finding and growing this strength has led me to ministry and has helped me find other strengths and gifts that have grown to fulfillment of my calling to serve Christ.
I invite you to discover a place that you have a passion for, something you have fun doing. I believe that when you realize the passion and joy you have living that passion you will discover a gift you are using to serve Christ. You will discover one or two more gifts you would like to grow to continue your growth in serving Christ. This may be a passion you already have within the life of this Church family. Or it could be a passion for doing something within your community or neighborhood. When we discover our gifts and strengths together, we shall know the direction of the ministry to which God is calling us.
But, remember, we cannot be in a hurry, regardless of what has happened before in our lives or in the life of the church family. First and foremost, God wants us to get to know each other as family, discover our passions, strengths and gifts for life and for ministry. God wants us to have good times over the years we shall be family together.
