Hello! We wanted to reach out and update you on the work that your Call Committee has been doing in the search for a permanent pastor. First, let us say how much we've appreciated your prayers and support as we've started this journey. From the prayers during the services, to your willingness to ask for our prayer cards, to the lighting of the candle on the altar - the Call Committee has felt supported at every step in this process. We are grateful for that support, and will strive to keep you updated on our progress as we work towards the end goal of a called pastor for our congregation. 

A couple of informational items to note:

• We are currently working on the  Ministry Site Profile (MSP). Our goal is to have the MSP completed by mid-September, for review first by the GSLC Council and then by the Synod. We have already made significant progress on the document, and at this time are confident in making our mid-September goal date. We continue to value your prayers as we construct this document, that it would be an honest and accurate assessment of the current state of our congregation.
• Hopefully you’ve seen some of our informational items on the TV screens at church, and updates in the Sheep Buzz. One of our primary goals in this process is to be as transparent as we can, so everyone knows what the process is, where the process stands, and can get answers to any questions they might have. Please always feel free to approach any member of the committee before or after church services with any questions or concerns related to this process. We will always be as forthcoming as we can, while recognizing the confidential nature of some parts of our work.  
• There is now a visual representation of our progress through the call process posted in the fellowship hall, next to the timeline set up by the Long Range Planning Task Force. We hope it will serve as a helpful (and fun!) way to track our progress through the steps of calling a permanent pastor.

A question came up around the timeframe for completion of this process that we wanted to make sure to address. The initial information we received from Pastor Jonathan at the Synod indicated this process normally takes between 10-12 months, but can take up to two years depending on factors like pastoral availability and congregational preparedness. We will say that we do not anticipate it taking anywhere near that long for Good Shepherd, but want to be transparent about the possibilities as outlined by the Synod. That is why we put that time range in the card you see on the TV screens.

Again, we do not anticipate this process taking nearly that long, but there will be hurdles to overcome. Over the last five years, the number of new Lutheran seminary graduates in the entire country available to be called to lead a church has decreased by a significant percentage. There are currently 29 churches just in our Synod who are actively seeking new pastoral leadership. Additionally, many mid-career pastors are opting to leave pastoral ministry entirely for either secular jobs or different ministry calls. So the pastoral climate is very different than it was even a few years ago. While we would not expect to call a newly graduated pastor to Good Shepherd, other churches that would call those pastors have fewer to choose from, and will instead be interviewing the same candidates we are. However, we are not worried. We know God has His hand in this process, and will guide us towards the conclusion He wants for us.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your continued prayers over both the Call Committee and this church. More information soon!

In Christ,

Your GSLC Call Committee

  Matt Provost, Max Epling, Kris Hebeisen, Lori Peters, Erik Storla, Karen Yerkes

callcommittee@gslutheran.org