Just Pick ONE

I am back. I said I would be and believe I should be, so here I am.

I am here to help us stay connected with an update on the pursuit of our next pastor.

You may recall that we have (4) stages on this journey: The Posting and Response. The Interviews and Evaluations. Consistory Presentation and ultimately a Final Visit. In our job postings, we asked for an application to be in by March 10. Accordingly, the search team is now fully into our interviews and evaluations.

Last fall, we reviewed 12 serious candidates, and in just the first month after reposting, we received seven responses. The biblical scholars will note that those are important, significant numbers. While we have had a few more come in since then, my kids often remind me: We only need one, SO PICK ONE.

How do we get to that point? 

As a team, we invested in understanding each candidate's remarkable story and ministry. We highlighted their skills and their strengths. We concentrated on what was good. We moved forward as a group when we agreed that there was an interest and the Holy Spirit was leading us on!

In our first meeting with any candidate, we open by asking about their relationship with Jesus. Don't worry; we'll get to leadership style, pastoral care, infallibility, inerrancy, the Heidelberg catechism, and even the difference between pato or credo baptism. We'll likely interview each candidate 2 or 3 times before presenting them to the consistory.

But we start with Jesus.

Right away, we will also ask what drew them to MRC. For the Casablanca fans, this is like "Of all the churches, in all the little towns, in all the world…" This is where they have told us about their attraction to "Loving God, Loving Others and Leading Change." They share an appreciation for our outreach and commitment to the community. Of course, there is also interest in the Midland area because who wouldn't love it here?

When we eventually get to the point where we can pick one, the team has reached a consensus on a single candidate, which means that we have also politely said "No thank you" to many faith-filled people. I will be honest; that's always a challenging message to share.

So, church, we ask for prayer during this stage to lift ALL our candidates. In 1 Cor Chapter 12, Paul writes about recognizing spiritual gifts, unity, and diversity in one body. In that spirit, please:

Consider a prayer of thankfulness for the call to mission and the work of all the candidates.

Consider a prayer of encouragement for those who hear "No thank you" to keep fanning their God-given gifts into flame.

Consider a prayer for everyone to desire and seek after God's leading, not just right now in this search process but at all times.

There will be a follow-up to this in the Wednesday email bulletin. Thank you.