Pastoral Search Team Blog #2

Cooking with the Right Tools

I used to make spaghetti two to three times a week for dinner.  It was my go-to meal.  When I worked as a 7^th grade English teacher prior to staying home with my kids, I barely had enough energy to boil noodles after being in the classroom all day.  After becoming a stay at home mom, I began to find life in areas that meant little to me while working full time.  I became a Food Network online recipe junkie.  Now, we have spaghetti once every few weeks, and I try to tackle interesting, more complicated recipes.

I’ve learned that cooking is really an art.  I rarely follow recipes exactly, but I do use measuring spoons, cups, etc.  While I can tackle most tough gourmet recipes, I am not a great Korean food cook.  I am a Korean adoptee.  My parents are Caucasian, and they do not cook by taste.  My husband and mother-in-law rarely use measuring devices.  They add a little of this and a little of that and create something wonderful.  I’m not comfortable cooking like that, and more importantly, even if I do make an excellent Korean dish, I often can’t replicate the same result the next time I try.

Serving on the Sanctuary pastoral search team has reminded me a bit of cooking.  Each person is bringing his/her gifts, experiences, and passion to the group.  We are all trying to work together to identify our next pastor.  All of us are aware of the importance of this task and are praying hard to make sure we do our best and follow God’s will.  After all, He knows the identity of our next pastor.

The search team has continued to meet monthly, and we are making good progress.  The Elder Board has been working hard to create the job description, church profile, etc.  The position will officially be posted online and through many other channels by the end of August.

This past month, the Elder Board and search team came to an important decision.  We have hired Sima International, a professional search company and will be partnering with several consultants that specialize in ministry job placements.  Here are some of the benefits of working with Sima:

• Using their specialized applicant gifting mapping process, Sima will evaluate how closely applicant qualities match the senior pastor job description.
• Sima will use its vast ministry network to contact possible senior pastor leads.
• Sima will also investigate potential candidates that would be an excellent fit but are not currently seeking a new position.
• Sima will provide administrative support, responding to applicant questions and helping them navigate the application process.
  

Collaborating with Sima does not undercut the purpose and mission of the congregationally selected search team.  The search team is still charged with identifying and calling Sanctuary’s next senior pastor.  We lead.  Sima follows and plays a supporting role. We are still the chefs, but now we have a set of measuring tools at our disposal.  These tools can help us evaluate applicants in a consistent manner.  They can help us find the one that God has identified as Sanctuary’s next senior pastor.

Please continue to pray for the search process.  Join us for weekly pre-service prayer at 8:25 and 10:25 in the gymnasium.  Watch for our 411 updates and bulletin announcements.  Read our web FAQ page; http://sanctuarycov.org/about/senior-pastor-search-faqs Stop by our Fellowship Café bulletin board.  And, if you have questions, feel free to contact us via email: search@sanctuarycov.org.  We want to hear from you!