Search and Transition Update

YOUR SEARCH COMMITTEE AT WORK!

In April members of the Search Committee will go out in pairs (“incognito”) to hear and see the “short list” of candidates preach and lead worship in their current churches.  By May 1, the final candidates will be invited to come to St. Philip’s for an interview with the Search Committee and the Bishop’s Committee.  This will occur during the week.  These candidates will not attend services here nor will they be invited to preach prior to a call.

In the last newsletter, I told you about the Search Committee reading and ranking the profiles of all the potential candidates we had for Vicar of St. Philip’s. Each of us had a copy of all 48 profiles to read, evaluate and rank independently. 

At our meeting at the end of January these applicants were discussed; and Steve subsequently put all of the names and ranking (scale of 1 to 10) on a spread sheet.

1.   Describe how you develop a good sermon.

2.   Describe your strengths and challenges in creating a faith development program for a congregation of all ages.

3.   How do you see the role of vicar in the life of the community at large?

4.   Why do you think a person attends a particular church?

On Feb. 3rd Julie then sent letters to all applicants ranked a “5” or higher, asking them to answer in writing the following four questions and return them to us by Feb. 27th.

We are presently reading, evaluating and ranking the still-interested applicants’ replies to the questions.  We have several good applicants so far, both women and men.

At our meeting on March 13, we will develop our “long list” of potential candidates and prepare for the next step, which will be a telephone interview.  This is where you, the members of the congregation  have been most helpful. 

Do you remember the question on the survey “What questions would you like the Search Committee to ask a potential candidate?” 

Well, many of you answered that question (thank you very much), and your answers are the basis for the list of questions being drawn up for telephone interviews.  We plan to have concluded the telephone interviews by the end of March.

By June 1, we will determine who the Search Committee and Bishop’s Committee recommend for call to be Vicar at St. Philip’s, have it confirmed by the Diocese, and issue the call.  Our target for having a new Vicar in place is August 1 at the latest. 

Keep in mind that whoever is called must give 6 to 8 weeks’ notice at his/her current church.  If you have any questions about our process, please speak to a member of the Search Committee, listed below. 

While we must keep confidential the names of applicants, we want our process to be as transparent as possible. Again, we ask your daily prayers for guidance for this committee and for the Bishop’s Committee. 

Please continue to pray about the finances of St. Philip’s.  If there is a way you might be able to donate airline miles or give a one-time extra gift for the travel expenses of the Search Committee, or if you’re able to increase your pledge or make a pledge, please talk to Bill DeRouchey, Treasurer.  We on the Search Committee are confident in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide all of us to search our hearts and our priorities to assure the future of this wonderful congregation of people called St. Philip the Apostle in Scotts Valley.

Karen Krestensen, for the Search Committee:  Steve Dodds, chair, Donna Jones, Karen Krestensen, Julie O’Brien, Dave Sanguinetti, Susan Seaburg