When I think about my experience with the Pastor Partners Program and my relationship with Pastor Caleb Schoeneck, I can honestly say that this program was something I needed, especially as I was so new to the pastoral ministry—and, in many ways, still feeling new to it today. One thing I learned quickly is how much can change in ministry in just two or three months. New challenges arose, situations developed that were not always easy to navigate, and sometimes I simply needed a brother in the ministry who understood all of those things. Our monthly meetings became something I greatly appreciated. Sometimes we simply enjoyed a cup of coffee together over Zoom, but those conversations gave us an opportunity to talk honestly about ministry, receive encouragement, and, most importantly, spend time in God’s Word and prayer together. That regular reminder that I was not serving alone was incredibly valuable to me.
Caleb also made an intentional effort to spend time together in person at least once, and sometimes twice, each year. Those visits allowed our mentoring relationship to become a genuine friendship. One experience I will never forget was when Caleb picked me up from DFW Airport during an Oklahoma ice storm and we drove another two and a half hours to some hunting land near his home in Texas. I ended up shooting my first hog with him. Between the ice storm, the long drive, the hunting, and all the conversations along the way, it became an experience I will always remember.
That trip captures much of what I have appreciated about the Pastor Partners Program through Grow in Grace. Caleb wasn’t simply someone I could call when I had a ministry question. He became a brother in ministry who intentionally made time for me, shared life with me, listened when ministry was difficult, prayed with me, and continually pointed me back to Christ and his Word. Especially in these early years of ministry, that kind of consistent Christian encouragement and brotherhood has been invaluable. I am deeply thankful for Caleb and for the way the Lord has used the Pastor Partners Program and the seminary to provide a trusted friend and fellow pastor to walk alongside me!
Pastor Jacob Roecker serves at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City, OK.
