A Note From Gordon West
Dear Friends of KidZ at Heart,
For many years, I’ve freely shared this bit of Christian “wisdom:” “There’s no such thing as retirement in the Bible.” And then one of my best friends shared another thought: 175-year-old Abraham probably didn’t carry the same workload as his 50-year-old self. Huh. Point made.
After five years of setting the groundwork for KidZ at Heart with my late wife, Becki, followed by over 21 years of leading this wonderful organization as President / CEO…, after much prayer…, after counsel from my group of godly advisors…, after God made it perfectly clear that NOW is the time, Maria and I will be retiring as of May 31, 2024.
We are thankful to have had the privilege and satisfaction of being part of the international Christian community called KidZ at Heart. This has been an amazing journey, a blessed life, and an honor. I’m proud of what we (you, the KidZ staff and board, and God) have, together, accomplished over the past decades. Thousands of adults have been trained in more than 50 countries to help hundreds of thousands of children fall deeply in love with Jesus. Well done, my co-workers! And the work goes on…
“For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered” (Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't.) Your contributions over the past many years have really mattered…and continue to matter!
20 years ago, I committed to God that I would do whatever I could to see that KidZ at Heart continued beyond my involvement. Collins calls this being “built to last,” and sets this as the capstone of a great organization. Today, I readily admit that the health of KidZ at Heart and its readiness to continue growing and expanding without me have much more to do with God’s hand than my leadership.
Collins correctly states that “great vision without great people is irrelevant.” It would take more space than we have here to list the many “great people” who have contributed (and continue to contribute) to this community. In fact, one of the most important confirmations that now is the right time for me to step away is that KidZ at Heart has never had a stronger leadership team than it does now.
I am completely confident that our entire team is ready for this time of transition, but none more than our chief officers: Neesie Cieslak (Chief Advancement Officer), Reni John (Chief Resource Officer), Kathy Kochis (Chief Financial Officer), and Becky McAllister (Chief Program Officer).
Some have asked what I will be doing. I’m not leaving KidZ at Heart for another ministry or job. The past eight years have been ones of major transition for me personally.
Eight years ago, Becki was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer.
Five years ago, we lost that battle.
Three years ago, Maria and I got married.
Two years ago, we became grandparents to the most amazing grandchild ever born.
One year ago, I go to perform our youngest daughter’s wedding service, as we added a second wonderful son-in-law to our family.
So…I’m going to rest a bit, probably grieve some, continue learning to be a good husband, finally get our two households combined, catch up on many “deferred maintenance” items around home, take our grandson swimming, hiking and kayaking, spend more time with our wonderful adult children, see old friends, tackle that huge pile of unread books, and learn to scuba dive. We plan to stay in our current home, so our address will not change anytime soon, and neither will our cell phone numbers. We will, however, be switching to our personal email addresses. Those are the current plans. And, of course, we expect that God has some wonderful surprises ahead, too! (More grandchildren?)
We cannot possibly thank you enough for the many years you have traveled with us and for the many ways you have supported the ministry and us personally. Your prayers during this time of transition for KidZ at Heart and the West family are much appreciated. With your help, KidZ at Heart has been “built to last.” And that means ongoing need for prayer and financial support. Maria and I ask you to join us in our personal commitment to continue supporting KidZ at Heart through prayer and generous giving.
Thank you.
Gordon D. West
President / CEO Emeritus