Cold Springs Church Family,
We are excited to share an important update about the future of our church and our Youth Ministry.
After a thorough search process, many conversations, interviews, reference checks, prayer, and a lot of discernment, we have officially hired Trey Graber as our new Associate Pastor of Youth. Trey has accepted the position and will begin serving with us on October 1st.
For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to meet Trey yet, Trey has spent years serving in youth and family ministry. He brings ministry experience, a love for students, a heart for developing leaders, and a genuine desire to reach people who do not yet know Jesus.
Trey is 31 and has been married to his wife, Hillary, for 11 years. They have four children: Isaiah, 11; Joshua, 9; Nehemiah, or “Nemo,” 7; and Johanna, 5. We are incredibly excited to welcome the entire Graber family into the Cold Springs family.
Why This Matters
This hire is about much more than filling a position.
One of the things we believe God is calling Cold Springs to in this next season is to become increasingly intentional about developing leaders and reaching people throughout El Dorado County who don’t yet know Jesus.
That starts with every generation.
We deeply believe that our students are not simply the future of the church—they are part of the church right now. We want to see a Youth Ministry where students are known, discipled, challenged, equipped, and given opportunities to lead. At the same time, we want to become increasingly effective at reaching students who have little or no connection to Jesus or the church.
That is one of the things that excites us most about Trey. Throughout this process, we saw not only someone capable of leading a strong Youth Ministry, but someone whose heart aligns with where we believe God is taking Cold Springs. Trey has a passion for developing people, empowering leaders, building teams, and creating opportunities for students to encounter Jesus.
This is an investment in our students, but it is also an investment in the mission and future of our entire church.
The Transition – A Word From Pastor Daniel
Because of the timing of Trey’s arrival, we have the opportunity to make this transition thoughtfully rather than abruptly.
Throughout October, Trey and I will lead Youth Ministry together as I intentionally hand over the relationships, rhythms, culture, and leadership of the ministry to him. I’ll continue to invest in Trey through coaching, leadership development, and preaching, while gradually stepping back and giving him the room he needs to truly become the pastor and leader of our students.
I love our students deeply, and it matters to me that this handoff is done well. At the same time, I’m excited to see Trey take ownership of this ministry and lead it into its next season.
A Word From Pastor David
Daniel has done an excellent job of developing and leading the process we went through in this staff search. We were able to interact with a number of interested candidates, and Trey Graber truly stood out as a great fit for our church and our community. He is going to bring a lot of value and impact to students, families, and the ministry team.
Over the past year, we have been in an intentional process of transitioning me from the Lead Pastor role as Daniel steps into this role. This hire helps us continue moving forward in that transition, freeing Daniel to assume more responsibilities and leadership. I am excited for the future of Cold Springs Church, where God is leading us, and how He is providing for us!
Looking Ahead
Transitions like this are significant moments in the life of a church. They remind us that God continues to raise up people, develop leaders, and move His church forward.
We are grateful for everyone who has prayed throughout this search, for our search team and leadership who invested so much time in the process, and especially for our Youth Leaders who have continued to faithfully love and disciple students throughout this season.
Please be praying for Trey, Hillary, Isaiah, Joshua, Nemo, and Johanna as they prepare for a major move and transition. Pray for their family as they say goodbye to one community and begin putting down roots here. They are currently looking for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home to rent in the area, so if you know of a rental, have a connection, or hear of something becoming available, please let us know. Any leads would be a huge help to their family as they prepare to move.
And please pray for our students and leaders as they begin building relationships with Trey.
We are incredibly excited about this next season.
There is a lot ahead of us as a church, and we believe God continues to put the right people in the right places as we seek to develop disciples, raise up leaders, and reach El Dorado County with the good news of Jesus.
We can’t wait for you to welcome the Graber family to Cold Springs.
Daniel and David
