Associate Pastor Committee Update #1

Associate Pastor Call Committee Update #1 Now that we have Pastor Beth firmly in place as our Lead Pastor, we have formed the team that will follow a similar process to identify and recommend a candidate to serve as our Associate Pastor.  We again are being guided by Pastor Craig Pederson from the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod to help us understand our role as a committee, how the Synod will help us identify and learn about candidates, and ensure we will select the best possible Associate Pastor fit for our church community.

Having just completed our Lead Pastor call, things are moving fast.  We’ve met four times over the last month; we’ve already modified our congregation’s Ministry Site Profile, identified roles within the committee, created a position description, and drafted the interview and selection process we will follow.  We were fortunate to have Bishop Ann meet with many members of our congregation earlier this month so she could get to know us better and thereby inform her search for our open leadership position.  Pastor Craig and Bishop Ann have begun to provide us with excellent candidates to review already and we’ve begun to set up initial meetings.

The Call Committee will continue to be open and transparent with where we are in this process.  We invite you to reach any member to ask questions, and to check the website for updates frequently.

LindaFinley

Linda Finley Associate Call Committee Communications Lead

Lead Pastor Update #3

The Call Committee interviewed Pastor Beth for the Lead Pastor Position on April 7th, 2016. Each member of the committee spent individual time and decided on a few questions that they personally wanted to ask Pastor Beth during the interview. These questions were then presented to the entire Call Committee. We listened to each other’s questions and decided which ones we felt were mandatory in asking Pastor Beth and then we decided which ones could be secondary questions (as the interview was an hour and a half long).

Successfully, we were able to ask Pastor Beth all of the questions that the Committee had come up with in the allotted time. After the interview, we allowed Pastor Beth to ask the Call Committee any questions she may have had in regards to the interview, Lead Pastor job position, etc. Subsequently, Pastor Beth closed the interview in prayer per our request.

The Call Committee spent time in writing down notes during the interview and scoring Pastor Beth’s answers to each of the questions. We took time immediately afterwards to deliberate and come up with a decision.

All 6 members unanimously voted to recommend Pastor Beth for the Lead Pastor Position to the Council. Mark Schmidt wrote out a letter the following day on behalf of the Call Committee and sent it to the Council about our decision. We look forward to your attendance at the congregational meeting following the second service on May 22nd.

Church Council will share further details about the upcoming meeting in the next couple weeks.

Kirsten Freiborg

Kirsten Freiborg Call Commitee Communications

Lead Pastor Call Committee Update #2

On Sunday, April 3rd the Call Committee held a MOtalk in regards to the Lead Pastor position and where they are at in the process. A short announcement will be made this Wednesday, April 6th during the service and several committee members will be stationed in the Welcome Center for questions after the service. View the PowerPoint slides presented on Sunday.

We have continued to meet every Wednesday night and have completed the Ministry Site Profile (The MSP is a comprehensive report profiling our congregation that prospective candidates can review: who we are, demographics, mission/vision/identity, leadership needs, etc.).

This Thursday, April 7th the Call Committee has a panel interview scheduled with Pastor Beth for the Lead Pastor position and from there, the committee will determine what the next steps forward shall be. In Mid-April our decision will be presented to the Church Council regarding the recommendation of Pastor Beth for the Lead Pastor position.

In late April, the Church Council will make a decision regarding approval of Pastor Beth for a congregational vote, and pending approval would be held in mid-May.

Kirsten Freiborg

Kirsten Freiborg Call Committee Communications

Lead Pastor Call Committee Update #1

The Call Committee has met three separate times so far in this process. We have met with Pastor Craig Pederson from the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod who helped us understand our roles as a committee, and how we will determine the best fit for our Lead Pastor position. Pastor Beth has expressed interest in this position and feels called to become the Lead Pastor for Mount Olivet; her candidacy will be considered prior to any discussion or interview with other candidates. That said, we will still follow the typical call process to ensure we have a common understanding of the Ministry Site Profile, Lead Pastor position description and expectations of a Lead Pastor.

We are currently in the midst of completing the Ministry Site Profile (The MSP is a comprehensive report profiling our congregation that potential candidates can review: who we are, demographics, mission/vision/identity, leadership needs, etc.), and will be finished by the end of March.

Pending completion of the MSP we will begin the interview process in April.

The Call Committee will continue to be open and transparent with where we are in this process, with the exception of needed confidentiality. Updates will be posted on the blog regularly. Look for a more detailed letter sent next week, in the meantime you can learn more about the Call Committee, and Call Process timeline on the website.

Kirsten Freiborg

-Kirsten FreiborgCall Committee Communications