Pastoral Transition Update for August Newsletter

Peace and Greetings.

My name is William Willcoxson and I’m the team leader for the Pastoral Transition Team.  I want to share monthly updates on the transition process: where we are at, what to expect, and what help is needed.

What does the transition look like?  The Grand Canyon Synod has documented the transition process and has identified 4 phases to the transition

1.)    Exit of the Rostered Minister – complete

·         Sending of the Rostered Minister to their next calling

2.)    Intentional Interim and Self Study – we are here

·         Confirming an Interim Pastor - complete

·         Completing a Transition Report and Ministry Site Profile – in progress

3.)    Calling of a new Pastor – not started

·         Getting Candidate names from Synod

·         Call Committee Interviews the Candidates

·         Call Committee recommends Candidate for approval by Council

·         Council recommends Candidate for approval by Congregation

4.)    Installation of the new Pastor – not started

As you can see, we are in the Self Study phase.  This is anticipated to be completed in early 2026.

The Self Study phase will consist of 

·         All Church Cottage Meetings (Aug-Oct) – we plan to meet in small groups with the entire congregation to get your feedback on your history with Lord of Grace, what’s important about who we are as a church, and where do we want to be in future. 

·         All Church Survey (Aug – Oct) – we will be sharing an electronic survey to collect answers to these questions as well to ensure no feedback is lost

·         Review of Church’s Job Descriptions, Policies and Procedures

·         Review of Church’s Strategic Plan – Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Core Values, Demographics

·         Review of Church’s Stewardship, Finances, and Assets

·         Completion of a Transition Report of all the above to be approved by the Council

·         Use the transition report to complete a Ministry Site Profile, which is essentially “who we are” and “what we are looking for” for potential pastoral candidates to review before applying for the position

Who is on the transition team?  Besides myself, the transition team includes Joy Folkvord, Sue Justis, Richard Green, Cindy Stein, Laura Tanem-Hernandez, Sam Lyth, and from the Grand Canyon Synod, Pastor Phil Gustafson

What can you expect:

·         Sign up in August for a Cottage Meeting.  Signup sheets will be available before and after both services.  Cottage Meetings will be held at a variety of locations and times.  There should be a time and location that works for you

Where we need help:

·         Participation in the Cottage meetings and the all-church survey.  Your input is critical to this self-study phase

·         Someone who feels comfortable reviewing policies and procedures would be of great benefit to us.  We want to ensure that these are updated before the new pastor is called to ensure we have a clean house.

·         Your prayers.  All the work of the Transition and Call Committee needs prayers for the following:

o   The committee seeks God’s will and not our own during this process.

o   The committee listens to the congregation and tries to objectively document who we are without putting their own spin on it.

o   The congregation to participate in the Self Study process through attendance at cottage meetings and completing the survey.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments – please free to reach out to me at – wwillcoxson@comcast.net

Yours in Christ,

William