Pastor Sarah on Welcoming our next Pastor

I like you guys. Really, I do! I’m a big fan of each and every one of you. The nature of my job, however, means that our relationships are forced into a territory that could be described as “fleeting.” And as much as I like and love all of you, I also really love my role here in this fleeting territory. I am here to walk with you in your ministry’s transition. I am here to guide you, counsel you, and lead you gently to your next step as a congregation. This is the exceptional part of God’s call for me.

Forgive me, I don’t like to speak in “you” or “we” or “I” terms in these situations because we’re all a part of one, right? Even when you choose your next called pastor, we remain a part of The One. For this reason, I would like to impart this article to you. I hope you’ll enjoy reading 50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor, and that you feel the fires of welcome kindled in your hearts and bellies.

Some of the items on the list may not apply to Faith now, or yet, or ever, but take a look and pay attention to the way each suggestion makes you feel. Does it feel like something you can do, and want to do? Is it something you hate, but you know someone else in the congregation who might do well at it? Maybe it’s something that you’ve seen passed over time, and time again when we welcome new pastors. Some of the items on the list may even make you feel guilty, or uncomfortable. I encourage you to read this list, sit with it, highlight the parts you love, cross out the parts you don’t, and pay very special attention to exactly what it ignites in you.

We will soon be presented with the first draft of our Ministry Site Profile. Once it has been completed, Rev. Doris Nolan, our Synod Coach will meet with the Transition Team, Church Council, and the Call Committee. We will then move onto the next step in the call process. I hope we as a congregation can use this resource and many others to guide us through this time of transition.

If you have any questions about the process, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, or any members of Church Council or the Transition Team.