With Gratitude: After 14 Years, at The Root Cellar, I'm Stepping into a New Chapter
As I prepare to finish my time at The Root Cellar this July, I want to share a few reflections on God's faithfulness, the people who shaped me, and why I am more hopeful for this ministry than ever.
It’s hard to know where to begin.
For the past 14 years, I have had the true honor of serving and helping lead, in one form or another, a ministry that has deeply shaped my life and shown me God's faithfulness again and again. Whatever good has come through this work has never been because of me. I have said many times that I am simply the guy who gets to tell the story of how God is at work here.
And it has been one of the great honors of my life to be partnered with each of you in that story.
When I came to The Root Cellar in 2012, I was young. I don’t think I had any gray hairs. Hilary and I were just about to have our first baby. I really knew nothing, though I was pretty sure I knew everything at the time. There was no way I could have known how deeply The Root Cellar would shape me, our family, and our understanding of ministry, community, and the faithfulness of God.
There was no way I could have known how God would take my small ideas, small efforts, and small faith and multiply them into something far greater than I could have imagined.
In truth, my job has been to steward the work God has been doing through The Root Cellar since 1984. The Root Cellar is, and always will be, a venue, a space, and a conduit through which God demonstrates His love and faithfulness to our neighbors in Portland and Lewiston through His people.
That is why I want to share with you that I will be finishing my time at The Root Cellar at the end of July and stepping into a new ministry opportunity, continuing Kingdom-focused work here in Maine.
I'll share more details about those next steps later, but today I want to express my gratitude.
Leaving this incredible organization has not been an easy decision. The fact is, I believe in the mission of The Root Cellar today more than I ever have. I am deeply confident in the work God is about to do through it.
The Board has been incredibly supportive throughout this process. Our team continues to grow in effectiveness, depth, and number. They are talented, creative, committed, and faithful. Leading and guiding them has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
Because of your generous donations and faithful partnership, The Root Cellar is stronger today financially than it has ever been. The generosity of God's people continues to demonstrate His faithfulness, His love, His provision, and His vision for this ministry.
My job has never been to create that vision. My job has been to listen for it, step into it, and steward it as faithfully as I can. And every time I have tried to imagine what God might want to do here, His version has been significantly bigger than mine. He invites us into His work, reminding us along the way that He is with us.
Over the years, I have watched many employees and volunteers come and go. I have been blessed to work with some of the most humble, gifted, creative, and faithful servants of God you could ever hope to meet.
Yet, each time one of them left, the same thing happened: God provided the right person at the right time to take their place. And each time, no matter who they were replacing, God multiplied the efforts of the next person to go even further, to build on what had been done before, and to carry the work forward in ways we could not have predicted.
I have no doubt in my mind that this is exactly what is about to happen again.
The future of The Root Cellar belongs to Jesus, and no one else. It's in very good hands.
The proof of that is in the work He does here every day. It is in every food bag distributed. It is in every adult student learning English and taking a step toward a new job and a new opportunity. It is in the community that forms around neighbors in need. It is in the life of a mentor and a child sitting across from one another, building trust one faithful week at a time. It is in the child who is welcomed back again and again, even when their behavior has been challenging. It is in the teenager choosing to mow a lawn with us. It is in the dozens of lives that are transformed by encountering the love of Jesus each day.
That is The Root Cellar.
And that work is not ending. It is growing. It is deepening. It is being carried forward by a faithful team, a supportive Board, generous partners, committed volunteers, and, most importantly, by the God who began this work long before I arrived and will continue it long after I leave.
I am grateful beyond words to have been part of it, and deeply humbled to have served as a steward of this ministry alongside so many of you.
Over the next few weeks, I'd like to share some stories—stories of God's faithfulness, provision, and redemption. My hope is that you will continue to pray faithfully and give generously as our team navigates this leadership transition and as the Board discerns who God is calling to lead The Root Cellar into its next chapter.
But before any of that, I want to say thank you.
Thank you for praying.
Thank you for giving.
Thank you for volunteering.
Thank you for teaching me how to love our neighbors.
Most of all, thank you for giving me the honor of being part of a story that God is writing through His people.
As I prepare to finish my time at The Root Cellar at the end of July, I do so with tremendous peace and excitement for what comes next—not primarily for me, but for this ministry. God is not finished here. In many ways, I believe we are just beginning to see what He has in store.
The same God who has faithfully provided since 1984 will continue to provide. The same God who has transformed lives, raised up new leaders, inspired creative programming, and sustained this work through every challenge will continue to do so.
The next chapters of The Root Cellar's story have never belonged to any one of us.
They belong to Him.
And I cannot wait to see what He writes next.
With Gratitude and Great Expectation,
Joel Furrow, Executive Director
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH
Our Board of Directors has begun the search for the next Executive Director—a leader who will steward this ministry's mission, support an exceptional team, and help guide The Root Cellar into its next chapter of impact in Portland, Lewiston, and beyond.
I can say with complete confidence that this is a ministry worth your time, gifts, and investment. I have been blessed beyond measure by the opportunity to serve here, and I am excited to see who God calls next.
If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more, I encourage you to review the position description below and prayerfully consider whether God may be leading you—or someone in your network—to explore this opportunity.
Please join me in praying for wisdom, discernment, and unity as the Board seeks the right leader for this next season. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
