” There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens:” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Dear Friends,
A time of change. We all have them during different seasons of our lives. Some are more difficult than others. Companies organizations and ministries go through them also.
LifeQuest is entering one of those “seasons of change.” After 11 years I will be stepping down from my position of President at LifeQuest effective June 30 of this year. Why you might ask? The simple answer is twofold. First, I absolutely believe this is God’s will for me and LifeQuest. And second, God has raised up a young man that I wholeheartedly believe will take this ministry to places I never could.
Ryan Chance Butts (simply known as Chance) will be stepping into the role of Executive Direc-tor effective July 1 of 2024. I’ve known this young man for almost four years through volunteer-ing in the juvenile facilities and with The 4:13 Journey and 4:14-The Continuing Journey. His greatest qualification? Simply put Chance loves God and loves kids. He’s a great husband and father and I’m proud to call him my friend. I have zero doubt that he is the man God has raised up for this position at this time. As it says in the Book of Esther “for such a time as this.” In next month’s newsletter, I’ll let Chance introduce himself to you and share a little of his story and his vision for LifeQuest.
I leave this position with a heart filled with gratitude. I’ve met SO many great people and SO many great youth. I love every one of them and as a friend of mine used to say “I’ve had the op-portunity to be a front-row spectator at miracles.” Don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen way too many young people die in my time here and way too many go back to their old lives. But we’ve also seen lives changed and young people now living new lives. And that’s the miracle.
So thank you to each of you who has prayed for and sacrificially supported this ministry. Thank you to every volunteer who has given their time and themselves. Thank you to every current and past staff person who has laid down their lives for the sake of others. And a special “THANK YOU” to Esther who has put up with me for the last ten years and been a critical part of this min-istry and my life.
This isn’t an ending. It’s a new beginning and one I’m very, very excited about. It’s not false humility when I say I believe the best is yet to come for LifeQuest and the youth of New Mexico.
We want to give everyone an opportunity to meet Chance over the coming months. But please make sure to read the next newsletter and meet this young man. Thank you to each of you who are reading this. You have been and are loved and appreciated.
John D. Jones
