Search and
Transition Update

PHONE INTERVIEWS
COMPLETED!

 

The Search Committee has completed phone interviews with eight applicants who are interested in becoming the Vicar at St. Philip’s.  We made up a list of 15 questions which we asked during the first half of the interview.  We then sparked more interaction by asking “what do you wish we’d asked you?” and “do you have any questions for us?”  All of this has helped us to get a good “feel” for each person.

We are in the process now of narrowing this group down to three or four candidates.  We then move to checking references, with the Diocese managing the background checks.  Next we will go out two by two to visit their parishes on a Sunday in order to hear them preach and interact in their congregations.

I’ve sensed that the congregation is both weary of the interim process and of not having a settled priest here to help us move forward--AND that there is excitement about the search as you all know that we are now dealing with real people who wish to be here.

Hang on and hang in!  We hope to have someone in place in early July.

This entire process--starting with sending out the survey, tabulating the results and then writing the profile--has been done with prayer and focus on God’s leading us, both as a congregation and in the Search Committee. This prayerful process has caused me to think more about who we ARE as a congregation, and who am I as a member of the Search Committee.

If Jesus were a candidate for Vicar here, would we be impressed with his credentials?--his education?--his experience?  Would St. Philip’s be a congregation Jesus would want to lead?  Are we doing what He calls us to do, individually and as a body?  Even more important, are we BEING who He calls each of us to be?

Is St. Philip’s BEING what Jesus would have us be in Scotts Valley?

We at St. Philip’s are great with the “doing”, whether it’s repairing a leaking roof, emptying trash cans each week, providing food for fellowship time after church, and myriad other things.  We are good DOERS.

How are we at “being?”  What is God calling us, as a congregation, to BE in this community, with one another, with newcomers to our church?  How is God calling you and me as individuals to BE in this congregation?  If we listen for God’s voice--however that comes to us--and attempt to hear what that call might be, what opportunities and challenges might that open up for each of us, both as individuals and as a congregation in this community?

I don’t have any answers — only questions.  They’re questions that I’m pondering and thinking and praying about through this time of discernment and eventual choosing of one person to come here as our Vicar, trusting that it will be the woman or man whom God has chosen for us.

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

The Search Committee
NEEDS YOUR HELP! 

· We need you to prayerfully consider an additional contribution for the Search and Moving Fund, to help us get the right priest in place. Please consider a separate pledge for this purpose.

· We have received a pledge to MATCH any Search and Moving gifts received by May 1, for up to a total of $2000.Your gift can be DOUBLED, if you can make or pledge your gift by May 1.

· The Search committee also would appreciate donations of flight miles. We are determining where we need to go, and, thus, which airlines can help us. But we need to know if you may have some extra miles you could donate and on which airlines. Please contact Steve Dodds if you can help on this.

· The time we need extra financial help is NOW. We are in the process of creating our final list of candidates. We need to be prepared to go visit these candidates, and we need your help to do this. We are doing everything we can to keep expenses to a minimum, but we still need to cover the expenses of the search (and, later, moving the candidate). These expenses are above and beyond our normal—very tight—church budget.

THANK YOU for your prayers and for your support during the process—it is much appreciated.

             Susan Seaburg