Every so often, I come into contact with someone that leaves me in awe. Sometimes it’s because of something God is doing in their lives, sometimes because of something they did or said, and sometimes it’s because this person is incredible at what they do.

Bob Beeker is one of those people in my life. Bob is the Maintenance Technician here at The Ridge, and I regularly hear of the work that Bob is putting into a project or walk past him as he is doing something that I could not even dream of doing. For example, the other day I was walking through the atrium at The Ridge, and Bob was on his hands and knees fixing an area on a door with some toothpicks. Isn’t that incredible? I still don’t understand how he did it, but he did and that’s not an uncommon sentiment around our staff.

We will be celebrating Bob being on staff for 30 years in 2024. In honor and appreciation of Bob, here are some things I deeply appreciate about him.

1) Bob is sneaky funny. Bob is a quiet fella, but if you sit next to him at a lunch or a meeting he’s absolutely hilarious. Running into Bob when he’s working always includes me laughing because of a joke or observation, and even though he might be a man of few words, those words are chosen carefully - and are often quite amusing.

2) Bob is humble. Most of the things Bob works on around The Ridge are things that everyone sees, but no one sees him doing it. He works hard on the outside maintenance of the lawn and grounds. He also works diligently to keep the inside of the building fixed. And often Bob supports other people doing what they need to do - by building a set we use on stage, by knowing how to get a great sound out of our audio setup, or by knowing how the entire building is put together - all with an attitude of kindness and humility.

3) Bob is very talented. Once, we were pricing a new door because we wanted one that had glass so people could see into our Online Campus stream room. Bob caught wind that we were looking, and mentioned he thought he could take care of it. He took an existing door, cut out the middle, installed the glass, and it looks absolutely perfect. It also saved a lot of money, and all because Bob is able to do things I can’t even wrap my mind around.

4) Bob is kind. A little while back, I was having a bad day. Those come and go at times, and I honestly don’t recall why it was a bad day. What I do remember is that day I ran into Bob, and he said, “I appreciate you, bro.” Four words, but words that were so kind and thoughtful. He had no idea what kind of day I was having, but he was kind, and that kindness impacted me so much that I remember it months later. He probably doesn’t even remember it happening, but that’s something I appreciate about Bob - he is kind all the time.

5) Bob is a family man. He loves his wife and family, and if he’s not at work he’s with them. He is a person who is dependable, and I regularly see pictures of him with family members (he’s hard to miss - he’s taller than all of them). He loves his family, he loves his church family, and I am thankful for who he is and what he does at The Ridge.

Join me in thanking Bob for almost 30 years of service!

Whatever it takes,

Adam