Over 21 years at Messiah Lutheran Church, Jessica Potts was a wearer of many hats and touched countless lives.

The Messiah Community celebrated her remarkable career and blessed her as she heads into retirement at a joint service on November 16.

The service and celebration brought together many of those whose lives she has impacted as well as family, friends, Keith Marshall, the Bishop of the ELCA Southwest Washington Synod, and every pastor she worked with during her career at Messiah.

During her 21 years at Messiah, Jessica began as Youth Director but eventually added more responsibilities, including Finance Director and Director of Operations. She coordinated 22 mission trips, countless local service project, coordinated the One Mile Mission ministry to help students at schools within a mile of a Messiah campus, managed vacation bible schools, Treat Street, Easter Egg Hunts, breakfasts, CPR certifications and trainings and much, much more.

"There is no way to know how many seeds you have planted," said former Messiah co-pastor Kathy Braafladt at a program honoring Jessica after the service.

From providing a safe space for local students in need to making sure Messiah's books were balanced, Jessica touched lives in many ways at Messiah.

To conclude her time at Messiah she received a blessing from the community led by Marshall, who started in the synod as a youth director at the same time, as well as from the youth of the congregation following Pastor Robyn Kistemaker's children's message.

Master of Ceremonies Doug Ruecker, who worked alongside Jessica for many years as the church's financial secretary, closed the post service program by reflected that Jessica touched not just every life that walked through Messiah's doors over the past 21 years, but countless lives at local schools and beyond.

"It is said that to measure someone's impact you look at how many lives they've touched," he said. "All the people that have walked through these doors in the past 21 years have been touched by Jessica. Your impact has been a huge impact on our lives...the world has been touched by her. Well done good and faithful servant."