For several years of being without a pastor, Sundown Church has brought in Jon Chavez who arrived ready to serve his congregation and the community.
“My goal here in the community is to build the kingdom it talks about in the Bible,” Chavez said. “Jesus says multiple times that the kingdom is at hand, so my goal is that people can experience a living, real relationship with God in a very healthy way in a very safe place.”
Chavez grew up in the area and attended Sundown schools. Before coming back, he was a youth pastor in Earth and Muleshoe. While in Muleshoe, he also taught and coached at the junior high.
“When I heard about this position opening, it really intrigued me because it was a chance for me to move back home,” he said. “My wife and I talked about it and prayed about it and felt like God was calling us this way. It was just a way for me to move back into my home community, reconnect with my roots and give back to the community that gave so much to me when I was growing up.”
Chavez and his wife, Kyan, have been married for almost seven years. They have two kids, Noah and Oakleigh as well as some pets.
“They keep us busy,” he said. “It’s been nice, and they’ve been really liking the move and adjusting to it. They like the people over here.”
In this position, Chavez said he is excited to help build the church back up and be involved in the community. He also noted that the church is right across the street from the school, which “gives us a really unique opportunity to be involved in the school system.”
“I’ve already met with the athletic director to see how we can be involved with the athletic program, and we have plans CHAVEZ cont. on page 2 we have plans on meeting with the superintendent to see how we can get involved there too,” he said.
The church is already involved with vacation bible school (VBS) this week. The VBS theme this year is “Jesus is The Light,” and the church is decorated accordingly with neon signs and streamers.
“It looks like a lot of fun,” Chavez said. “I’ve been very impressed. The people that have been working on that have done a really good job.”
Overall, Chavez added that while many people already know him, he wants to make his goals known.
“I want to create a place where people know that they are loved, and they have a place where they can come and learn about God and worship Him in a true and genuine way,” Chavez said.
“I want to grow the Christian faith because this area is no stranger to Christianity, but I want people to have a living, breathing relationship with God.”