As many of you may recall, last summer we invited VitalChurch Ministries to come in and help us prepare for our next Senior Pastor search. Their report back to us included a number of recommendations, which our Board of Elders is working to address through committees focused on tackling five key focus areas in the life of our church.
We’re referring to these committees as Elder Focus Teams, and they are made up of representatives from the Board of Elders, staff, and volunteers. Here are updates from each team!
Elder Focus Teams
Church-Wide Communications
Our Church-Wide Communications team has developed new ways to keep you informed, including periodic video Elder Minutes where you’ll see and hear from our Board of Elders. The Elders also publish updates and recaps from their recurring meetings; you can find these updates on our website. The staff communications team has been conducting listening sessions with each campus and has been getting some great feedback! They are taking it all into consideration as they work on ways to improve this critical aspect of our church—including how we help our congregation be able to communicate with each other.
Evangelism
Our Evangelism team continues to help us maximize our opportunities for our church family to share Jesus with others. The team has added resources to our Journey library, updated Alpha class leader training, and increased the number of group and Alpha leaders.
Multi-site Strategy and Governance
Our Multi-site Strategy and Governance team, comprising congregants, staff, and Elders, leveraged many of the reports and information from The UnStuck Group, a church consulting group with expertise in the area of multi-campus church strategy. The team has decided to partner with The UnStuck Group this year to review opportunities for growth, increased engagement, communications, and alignment across our Church.
Leadership Pipeline
Our Leadership Pipeline team began its work by identifying central and campus leadership teams while further developing existing lay leaders. Looking ahead, the team aims to create leadership development curriculum, an events tool kit, and an outline for a leadership development pathway.
Staff Care and Development
Our Staff Care and Development team has proposed tactics for making sure the Grace staff feels a sense of belonging and connection, along with avenues for recognition and appreciation. Future goals include identifying congregants to champion staff care, providing additional training for managers and stakeholders, and gathering feedback through regular staff surveys.
Interim Leadership
During this interim period of our Senior Pastor search, the Board of Elders is affirming our Executive Team as the decision-making body for our staff, and the Board has established an Interim Senior Pastoral Team to address pastoral care and theological matters that would normally fall under the Senior Pastor role. Learn more about our interim leadership plan here.
Senior Pastor Search
The Board of Elders is thrilled to announce that the Senior Pastor position has been posted and is ready to receive applications! Learn more and hear from Victor Gerdes, who serves as both Chair of the Board of Elders and Chair of the Senior Pastor Search Committee, by checking out this article.
If you have questions or feedback, please contact the Board of Elders at . Thank you for your continued prayer and support!
