Richard, thank you for praying with us.
An update was provided to the congregation from the stage during both services on Sunday, November 10, and a written copy of the lead pastor profile was included as an insert in the worship bulletin. During services this weekend, the search team will again speak from the stage. The profile will be included in the worship bulletin again this week. Copies will also be made available at the ministry counter in the upcoming weeks. Please take time to read it over carefully, as many of your questions may be answered by doing so.
Three questions were addressed from the stage during the verbal update last weekend:
Why are we releasing the profile now?
We did not release the profile earlier because we did not want anyone to be influenced during the interview process. With internal interviews complete, we thought the congregants might want to see the profile.
Why are we only pursing internal candidates at this time?
We owe it to the people who have been at the church for years to allow them to discern if God is calling them to lead Springbrook at this time. It is a calling: a divine conviction that God has revealed to this individual and to the Search Team that this man is to lead this church at this time. We are looking for a match to the profile that God revealed to us with the help of an outside consultant and through extensive prayer and fasting. If an internal candidate believes God is calling him to this role, confirmation from both the search team and the membership will establish the validity of that calling. God will make it clear to us if He leads us to outside candidates.
Why has it taken so long?
We are still engaged in the process, actively seeking to align ourselves with God’s will and His timing. We want to be thorough in this process, and the average timeline for a lead pastor search is 12-18 months.
The team met again on Thursday, November 14 to pray together and to continue working through the process. After last week’s updates, many of you reached out to the team and offered feedback. We want to thank you for your willingness to honestly share with us. As we continue in this process, we would also like to invite all of you to ask questions and voice concerns. Everyone’s input is valuable. By the end of this process, it is our goal and our prayer that each of you will feel that your voice was heard, understood, and validated. This is not to say that everyone’s opinions will agree or that each individual’s preferences will be met. Instead, engaging in God-honoring conversations about what we think, feel, and see helps us to individually and collectively move closer to the heart of God. The purpose of sharing is NOT to shift outcomes closer to our preferences, but rather to shift our own hearts into closer alignment with the Lord.
Toward that end, search team members will be available to answer questions and hear comments after both services in the conference room. There will also be an open meeting this coming Tuesday evening, November 19, from 7-8pm in the conference room. Please come to speak directly with one or more of us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.