Anxiety or Excitement in the Congregation about the Transition?
Are you waiting for someone to respond to a job description?

 

OR are you Using Best Practices to ACTIVELY find your next pastor?

Reimagine your leadership transition process
  • Avoid predictable roadblocks and obstacles
  • Experience clarity around process and next steps
  • Get guidance where you need it
  • Position yourself for an exceptional candidate
  • Find a "right fit"
We guide you as you work through the LCMC/NALC Call Process
Reimagine your Call Committee Experience...
Let's talk!
Your job is not just about hiring a pastor...

 

It’s about positioning your church for it’s “Bigger Story”

-for it’s God-created Calling,

 

...and finding the right leader to help you accomplish that!

 

We want to Find our "Bigger Story" our, God-Created Calling!
It all starts with a Church Health and Faith Assessment...
Clarity First.

What is at Risk? 

4000 churches in America are closing every year. The consequences of a “wrong fit” in calling a pastor can be painful- conflict, loss of members, frayed relationships, stalled spiritual growth, pastoral turnover, loss of momentum, and the list goes on. Want to be intentional about finding a “right fit”? Consider this…

The Assessment Reflects on:

  • Culture, “How we do things around here” and,
  • Transformation, “How people are experiencing God and becoming more like Jesus”.

Why? Because you don’t know what you don’t know.

What are the Benefits?

  • The Organization Assessment covers what you could NOT discern through an online survey assessment to determine “right fit”. 
  • Greater clarity regarding strengths to build on.
  • The opportunity to attend to areas needing attention prior to the arrival of a new pastor.
  • Attraction. Exceptional candidates will expect a robust assessment.
  • Boosting organizational confidence in the call process.
  • Becoming healthy so the church can flourish, not diminish.

 

How Does It Work?

How We Help Call Committees

Finding Your "Bigger Story" Your God-Created Calling...
Is your vision unique to your church? Is your vision compelling? Can your vision not be accomplished unless God provides? Are you fulfilling the mission of your church through the way that you live? Are you seeking to bring the vision of your church into reality daily?
Process Design
We lead you in designing a call process unique to you based on the LCMC call committee guidelines. In partnership with you we design a clear path for moving forward from beginning to end.
Coaching for Call Committee Chair or Facilitation of Key Call Committee Meetings
These coaching sessions with Pastor Deb keep the call committee on track and focused, help you overcome roadblocks, seize opportunities, provide training, facilitation of difficult conversations and decision making conversations and so much more.
Opportunity Profile Development
Every church is a gift from God. You are offering an opportunity for a pastor who is a “right fit”, not a job. Put your congregation’s best foot forward with a robust opportunity profile so you can attract God’s best fit for your congregation.
Best Practices for Finding Candidates
Best practices for finding candidates: Recruit and Vet Candidates. Learn strategies used by search firms, smart tips and tricks that will expand your net and effectiveness.
Discernment Practices:
Listening to God is the most important role the call committee holds. Learn and practice discernment practices that will deepen your relationship with Jesus and thus your ability to hear and move with the Spirit.
Interview Training:
Learn and practice the fine art of interviewing. Many call committee members do not have a lot of experience interviewing or through their work have only interviewed candidates already vetted by HR. Learn to ask powerful questions, “read the room”, assess the candidates strengths and weaknesses in light of the organizations culture and vision, hear what’s not being said and so much more
Interview Support
Deb joins interviews as an observer and asks a few key follow-up questions to be sure you don’t “miss” anything. She will facilitate post-interview conversation regarding both the candidate and interview process. She also provides expert candidate evaluation.
Interviewing of Candidates one-on-one or with Call Committee Present:
Deb will lead the interview process from beginning to end. If Call Committee is present, they may participate as well. Deb will facilitate post-interview conversation regarding both the candidate and interview process. She also provides expert candidate evaluation. She will hold your feet to the fire on critical criteria you otherwise might give up in an emotional moment.
Facilitation of Decision-making Conversations:
Make decisions based on agreed upon qualitative and quantitative criteria, the 5 Cs, your values, mission, vision, culture, a candidates leadership style, your “sensing” and listening to the Holy Spirit and so much more.
Facilitation of Difficult Conversations:
Differences of opinion, conflict, differing assumptions or expectations can come to the surface during the call process. Having a neutral third party facilitate these conversations can ensure the conflict is utilized bringing greater clarity and unity throughout the process
Communication
Clear and Consistent Communication with the congregation, potential candidates and other significant leaders is key in the call process. We will help you think through a system/framework for effective, clear and timely communication to reduce conflict, gossip and frustration.
First 90 Days Integration Coaching for the new Pastor
The First 90 Days are the most critical days as Pastors engage with congregations. Coaching will be focused on integration into the congregations specific culture, structure, strengths and weaknesses with a focus on the Pastors strengths, growth areas, passions and sense of calling.
Bylaws and Organization Structure Clarification
Bylaws: For many congregations, bylaws are vague and sparse and only discuss the organization of the Board. They do not tell what they do, how they do it, and they contain no accountability process. A lack of bylaws lets people “make stuff up” and there can be a fairly intense desire for it not to be defined. Structure: There are often no clear lines of command and a lack of clarity around structures, leaving the system in some ways “out of control”. Authority, accountability and responsibility are often not in alignment for staff, council, committees, and individuals. We see this when the congregation holds the Pastor responsible for a failing youth program, but the pastor does not have full authority over the youth director and the program. It often looks like “shared” supervision and leadership with the youth board and church council. Who is responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed in the system and about what?
Engage in an Active Search that is Strategic, Intentional, and Led by the Holy Spirit...
...and you will find God's Exceptional Leader for You.
Schedule a free 30-minute Consultation

Two levels of support

Affordable Packages starting at $1,500.00 and up
Are you Engaging in an Active or Passive Search?
You don't want to miss this....

 

A passive process, used by most LCMC Churches, tends to attract active candidates (i.e., candidates looking for a job). Passive processes look like churches posting their position on a few job search websites, networking with 5-30 pastors they know and possibly sending a job description to pastors on the LCMC website who are designated, “open to a call” or they may even send out an email to all LCMC pastors.  

An active call processes tends to attract active candidates (those looking for a call) AND passive candidates (pastors happily employed and not looking for a call) creating a much wider pool of candidates. An active call process might do all of the activities of a passive search but is more focused on additional strategic activities. Instead of a job description, they offer an opportunity profile making the position more attractive. They call a very large number pastors who are “connectors”, not just any pastor, with a strategic networking plan thus expanding their reach similar to that of a search firm. The content, tone, and feel of the initial call and follow up calls are critical. They continue to widen their pool of candidates exponentially. Through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and their strategic work, the outcomes will be undoubtably different than that of a passive search.

This is why Call Committee Coaching and Expert Pastoral Search can be so helpful. We are here for YOU! Let's get Active!

Get Clarity...Get Momentum...
Find God's Pastor for YOU!
Let's Talk!