Search and Transition Update

WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

As I write this article members of the Search Committee are traveling to different California locations to visit the churches of the final candidates for Vicar of St. Philip’s.  Members of the committee (in twos) will attend both services at the candidates’ churches, have lunch together following the service, and conduct a personal interview.  The last of these visits will occur on May 7.

It’s an exciting time, one for which there has been much preparation starting with the study of 48 personal and professional profiles and resumes, narrowing down the list, and conducting phone interviews.  Now we actually talk face-to-face with the candidates!  WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

During the rest of May the candidates will be visiting St. Philip’s (one at a time) during the middle of the week to see our church, tour the area, and meet with the full Search Committee and Bishop’s Committee. Search Committee members will be checking the candidates’ references during this period.  WE’RE ALMOST THERE!!

The final step will be the presentation of the final two or three candidates to the Bishop’s Committee for their vote.  The call to become Vicar of St. Philip’s will then be issued.  We still hope to meet our goal of that happening by the end of May, so that we will have our Vicar in place by mid-July.          WE’RE ALMOST THERE!!!

We on the Search Committee are truly grateful for all of your support, your encouragement, your prayers as we have moved through this long process.  Thank you.

And thank you for financial support for travel (which we have managed to keep to a minimum) and moving expenses for our new Vicar.   YES, WE’RE ALMOST THERE!! 

And we couldn’t have done it without you, each one of you, who have “kept the faith” with the process this past year.   AND NOW, WE’RE TRULY ALMOST THERE!!!!

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! 

· 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.

· THANKS to you, we are on our way, with gifts totaling about $3000 so far. We estimate it will cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to move someone here and for transportation for the candidate and the search committee.

· If everyone that attends St. Philip’s gave $100 to the fund, we would have enough. That is only $2 per week—less than a cup of coffee. Can you make an investment in the future of your church, equal to a cup of coffee a week?

· So far, 15 individuals or families have contributed.

· 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, Bishop’s Committee-