I’m excited to share a sermon with you today by my dear friend Jay Madden. I’ve known Jay for 17 years and he has been an integral part of my story from the getgo. He is one of the ones who encouraged me to go back to school and get my masters in counseling. I remember telling him “I’ll be 50 by the time I graduate!” In his distinct, southern drawl he casually said, “Melody, in three years you’re gonna be 50 whether you go back to school or not. You can be 50 with your masters or 50 without it. It’s up to you.” So I went back to school and got it. Thanks, Jay!

Jay currently serves as Pastor of Mission at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. His full bio and picture are at the end of this post. This past Sunday he preached a great sermon that is worth a listen. Titled “It’s Important to Stretch: Risk Taking Mission”.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/peachtree-presbyterian-church/id73802382?mt=2&i=364309537

Rev. Jay Madden, Pastor for Mission

Jay grew up in South Carolina, where he attended Furman University. After spending 12 years in Greenville owning and operating a number of businesses, Jay sensed that God was calling him to serve the church. He joined the staff of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC as Evangelism Director before making the move to Chicago in 2003. While there, he served as an Area Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. In this role, he was responsible for pastoral leadership which included providing biblical community, pastoral care, and encouraging local and global compassion and justice. He also served on the Global-Africa board at Willow. He earned an MDiv degree from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Jay began serving at Peachtree as Pastor for Mission in October 2009. He is responsible for both local and global outreach. He is passionate about seeing the Peachtree community reach their full potential in God’s mission in Atlanta and around the world.