Notes from your Council President...
If you are like me, I’m still trying to process the news that Pastor Martin is leaving us after 21 years. Change is hard for many of us and at first I felt like I was on a ship that had come loose from the dock with no chart or rudder. However this couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course the Holy Spirit is with us every step of our journey and there are resources and support people already in place.
Last Thursday I met with Bishop Shelley. She was so reassuring and reminded me that we are not the first, nor will we be the last, congregation to have a change in pastors. There are procedures in place and she will be with us during this transition forward. Right now we are in Phase I, of a four phase process. What does that mean?
Phase I:
- We get to plan a party!!A send off for Pastor Martin is planned for June 30th, his final Sunday with us. More details in the next few weeks but mark the date to join in the fun.
- Bishop Shelley will be looking for an interim pastor to lead us until a permanent pastor is called. She will submit the name(s) of candidates for our consideration and we will make the decision whether to hire them as our interim until a permanent pastor is called. The interim pastor will likely be with us for 12-18 months. During this time, as a congregation we will have small and large group discussions on who we are as a church, what is important to us, what direction do we want to go in and what qualities we are looking for in a future pastor.
Phase II-IV:
- I think it is important to not get ahead of ourselves so right now I will just touch on what is involved next. After input by the entire congregation we will write a Mission Profile that defines who we are as a church and what qualities are we looking for in a future pastor. A Call Committee will then be formed to begin the search for our permanent pastor. Finally a call would be extended to a future pastor.
- Bishop Shelley and the Synod will be with us every step of the way. What a great team to have with us on this journey.
Bishop Shelley will be worship with us on Sunday June 9
th
and will meet with us immediately after the service for a short presentation and be available to address our questions. We will also start our summer breakfasts that Sunday so please plan on joining us.
I truly believe in my heart that Joy Lutheran will continue to be a place of worship that welcomes everyone. This is an opportunity to define who we are and who we want to be in this community. Please continue to support us in this time of change. You are welcomed here and you are loved.
In Peace,
Sue Weimer (slweimer@gci.net)
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