Well, I received an email from the church in Manhattan, KS, and they are moving on to another candidate. Where this doesnt shock me by any means, it did close the only other door that I have interviewed with other than Overland Park. So, either Overland Park will work out for the best, or we will be making sure our application goes out to more churches.
Please be praying for us throughout the process. Having only one church communicating with us right now either means it is it, or we need to work harder in getting aps out there. I will be doing that, but in the mean time, I feel like the waters are anything but calm.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
And...Round Three
Overland Park just called and I am one of two final candidates that they are interested in. They are going to do a little more background check moving to probably a visit out there with a possible neutral sermon for them to see.
Keep us in your prayers. Could this be where God is calling us?
Keep us in your prayers. Could this be where God is calling us?
A Couple More Interviews
Over the past two weeks I have had two more interviews. The only bad part about it is that I do not think I have received any more or less conformation about where I am going next.
One interview was with a small church in Southern Minnesota. The interview was very strange because I felt like the committee was giving leading questions, but I could not discern what those questions were leading to and what answers they were looking for. What I could discern is that they are looking for an executive pastor that would be able to lead their church through the different times a church life from preaching to pastoral care and other activities. I think there was a little bit of disappointment amongst them as they were starting with another candidate. They did mention that they have had two neutral pulpits, so I am guessing they had been turned down and may be getting a little burned out. I then found out that they may be offering a call to another candidate, so I found it strange that they were still taking new candidates. I suppose they were covering all their bases.
The second interview was with a Presby church in Manhattan, KS. It would be primarily youth to young adults as an associate. They asked a lot of questions of how would you reach this population. It was more about programs and activities and less about an overall theology about discipleship. I was very excited about this position when I was first referring my PIF to this church, but my excitement has faded after waiting so long to get in touch with me. They said they would let me know tomorrow (March 15) about where they would be going from here. I guess, in my mind, I was thinking this interview would be a lot more confirming, but I am not sure it was.
I am still waiting to hear back from the church in Overland Park (Kansas City), but that should happen sometime this week. My biggest request for all of you that may be reading this is for your prayer support. I have thought that I would have a bead on where God is calling us by this point in the conversations with churches, but I really don't. Combining that with the different amendments that the PC(USA) is voting on right now has been very discouraging for me. Sometimes the politics and hoops that one has to jump through to get where one believes God is calling him or her is far more difficult than I would like.
So here goes nothing. Here goes everything. But Lord, please watch over all of us, especially those affected by the natural disasters in Japan.
One interview was with a small church in Southern Minnesota. The interview was very strange because I felt like the committee was giving leading questions, but I could not discern what those questions were leading to and what answers they were looking for. What I could discern is that they are looking for an executive pastor that would be able to lead their church through the different times a church life from preaching to pastoral care and other activities. I think there was a little bit of disappointment amongst them as they were starting with another candidate. They did mention that they have had two neutral pulpits, so I am guessing they had been turned down and may be getting a little burned out. I then found out that they may be offering a call to another candidate, so I found it strange that they were still taking new candidates. I suppose they were covering all their bases.
The second interview was with a Presby church in Manhattan, KS. It would be primarily youth to young adults as an associate. They asked a lot of questions of how would you reach this population. It was more about programs and activities and less about an overall theology about discipleship. I was very excited about this position when I was first referring my PIF to this church, but my excitement has faded after waiting so long to get in touch with me. They said they would let me know tomorrow (March 15) about where they would be going from here. I guess, in my mind, I was thinking this interview would be a lot more confirming, but I am not sure it was.
I am still waiting to hear back from the church in Overland Park (Kansas City), but that should happen sometime this week. My biggest request for all of you that may be reading this is for your prayer support. I have thought that I would have a bead on where God is calling us by this point in the conversations with churches, but I really don't. Combining that with the different amendments that the PC(USA) is voting on right now has been very discouraging for me. Sometimes the politics and hoops that one has to jump through to get where one believes God is calling him or her is far more difficult than I would like.
So here goes nothing. Here goes everything. But Lord, please watch over all of us, especially those affected by the natural disasters in Japan.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Overland Park: Round Two
I have to take a deep breath. The conversations with Overland Park are going remarkably well, and they informed me last night they are already down to three candidates.
Initially, I may not have applied for this position, but Kadra zoned in on it and said we might as well try. As I have been in conversation with them I am further aware of the warmth in our conversations. Where they have their questions they want to ask, they respond to all my answers in a positive manner and engage deeper on each of my answers as they truly want to know more about me.
Further, one of my worries was to find a church I can fit in well theologically. Last night with our second interview this was confirmed, that Overland Park is in fact Orthodox, meaning Biblicaly conservative, and we see eye to eye on the hot button issues that the PCUSA is going through right now.
On top of this, they are involved with ministries in the city for the poor and disheartened. They asked if I would be comfortable walking into a ministry that directly deals with the marginalized. Oddly enough, God has been getting my attention about this aspect of Christian mission that has been ignored for some time. Where this is even more so over seas, I have constantly felt the call to ministry within the US, knowing good and well that I lived much of my life as an atheist even though I was going to church and considered myself as a "Christian". As Richard Sterns in his book "The Hole in the Gospel" points out, the hole is the action aspect of our Christian lives as put forth by Jesus in Luke 4 when he defines his call in the Temple. Kansas City would be an amazing place to start a ministry like a Dream Center (look up Dream Center LA or Dream Center Peoria).
We are told in Seminary that we must come along side a ministry and participate in what God is doing in that specific neighborhood. I have wondered in my ordination process if the PCUSA is a place where I can do that with any type of integrity. As I have spoke to Overland Park more and more, I realize that I would be able to do ministry there and not worry about theological differences.
Overland Park still has two more interviews, so I wont hear back from them in at least two weeks. I am not completely sure if this is where God is sending us, we are praying that God would make this abundantly clear. My prayer has been "If this is where You want me to go, I will go. If this is were You are calling me, then pave the way." Please be praying the same, as God opens and closes doors in this process. We are hoping that this door stays open. But if it closes, I can only be reminded that God has a place for us and that place will become abundantly clear soon enough.
Initially, I may not have applied for this position, but Kadra zoned in on it and said we might as well try. As I have been in conversation with them I am further aware of the warmth in our conversations. Where they have their questions they want to ask, they respond to all my answers in a positive manner and engage deeper on each of my answers as they truly want to know more about me.
Further, one of my worries was to find a church I can fit in well theologically. Last night with our second interview this was confirmed, that Overland Park is in fact Orthodox, meaning Biblicaly conservative, and we see eye to eye on the hot button issues that the PCUSA is going through right now.
On top of this, they are involved with ministries in the city for the poor and disheartened. They asked if I would be comfortable walking into a ministry that directly deals with the marginalized. Oddly enough, God has been getting my attention about this aspect of Christian mission that has been ignored for some time. Where this is even more so over seas, I have constantly felt the call to ministry within the US, knowing good and well that I lived much of my life as an atheist even though I was going to church and considered myself as a "Christian". As Richard Sterns in his book "The Hole in the Gospel" points out, the hole is the action aspect of our Christian lives as put forth by Jesus in Luke 4 when he defines his call in the Temple. Kansas City would be an amazing place to start a ministry like a Dream Center (look up Dream Center LA or Dream Center Peoria).
We are told in Seminary that we must come along side a ministry and participate in what God is doing in that specific neighborhood. I have wondered in my ordination process if the PCUSA is a place where I can do that with any type of integrity. As I have spoke to Overland Park more and more, I realize that I would be able to do ministry there and not worry about theological differences.
Overland Park still has two more interviews, so I wont hear back from them in at least two weeks. I am not completely sure if this is where God is sending us, we are praying that God would make this abundantly clear. My prayer has been "If this is where You want me to go, I will go. If this is were You are calling me, then pave the way." Please be praying the same, as God opens and closes doors in this process. We are hoping that this door stays open. But if it closes, I can only be reminded that God has a place for us and that place will become abundantly clear soon enough.
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