December 12, 2015
Call Committee Announcement and Transition Update
Dear Members and Friends of Christ Lutheran Church:
On behalf of Council, I am pleased to announce the Call Committee and provide an update on next steps for the Call Committee and Transition Process.
We had a fantastic and robust pool of nominees to choose from, and we really appreciate everyone that agreed to be considered as a candidate. On December 8, the Council met to review the Call Committee nominees and make our selections. As a Council, our goal was to select a Call Committee that included broad representation of the Congregation. We believe we have achieved this goal, and our Call Committee encompasses a broad, diverse, and in-depth range of expertise and involvement in CLC.
We are pleased to announce the following members will comprise the Call Committee:
Steve Schaeberle (Council liaison)
Claire Cantrell
Steve Hoemann
Margie Versen
Carl Douhan
Kristin DeBeer
Mike Williams
Greg Kleen
Brian Martin
Stephanie Foster
The Council voted unanimously to endorse this Call Committee.
Next Steps: The Council, Transition Team, Call Committee, Pastor Steve Berke, and Office of the Synod will be meeting on Sunday, December 13, 2015. This meeting will formally establish the Call Committee and allow the Transition Team and Council to share in-depth findings from our Transition process to help guide the Call Committee’s discernment and interviews for pastoral candidates.
Once the Call Committee elects a Chair, we will submit the finalized Ministry Site Profile to the Office of the Synod. At that point, the Synod will coordinate with the Call Committee to facilitate interviews. The goal is for the Call Committee to start interviewing by mid-January, if not sooner.
Timing: Since we are interviewing for two Pastors, it is likely that the entire process may take upwards of one year. We completed the first phase of the Transition process in about 5 months – much sooner than the anticipated one year, so we are still on-track and ahead of schedule overall.
As a Congregation, we have accomplished a tremendous amount over the past year, and we continue to thrive and grow as a church and community. We are a strong congregation, a great staff, and wonderful pastors. The key for us a Congregation is to remain prayerful for the Call Committee for their discernment and reflection on pastoral candidates and the future of our Church, as well as prayerful for CLC, and for pastoral candidates that may be interested in applying for the positions.
Transition Team – Overview of Work Completed:
The Synod estimates that the Transition Team work can take up to one year to complete. The CLC Transition Team finished their work in approximately four months. During that time, the Transition Team:
- Conducted surveys and compiled feedback and data from over 250 CLC members;
- Conducted interviews and surveys with approximately 28 small groups at CLC;
- Interviewed CLC Staff and coordinated with Transition Pastor Interns assisting in the process;
- Analyzed survey and interview data to develop CLC Mission and Vision Statement;
- Identified areas of improvement for CLC’s ministries, administration, and operations;
- Studied other Churches going through transition;
- Analyzed CLC financial information and CLC stewardship trends;
- Drafted Ministry Site Profile;
A primary goal of the Transition work is to re-examine CLC from within to identify our strengths and areas for improvement in our ministries, administration, and outreach. We feel that the Transition Team accomplished this goal and objective, as evidenced by their thorough work and detailed reports and findings.
On behalf of Council, I would again like to thank the Transition Team for the dedication and hard work.
Key Findings and Recommendations from Transition Team and Council:
Pastoral Structure. Based upon the information and data gathered by the Transition Team, feedback provided from the Transition Team to Council, and Council’s own reflections and discernment, at our Council meeting on October 18, Council agreed unanimously (9-0) to revise the pastoral structure to have: (1) a “Lead Pastor” (akin to Senior Pastor); and (2) an “Operations Pastor” or “Executive Pastor” (supporting the Lead Pastor).
1. The Lead Pastor (also analogous to a CEO of a company) would be primarily responsible for Ministry, Worship, and Community Leadership. The Lead Pastor would be the leader of the Congregation; to lead Christ Lutheran Church (CLC) in implementation and accomplishment of CLC’s Mission and Vision Statement.
2. The Operations Pastor, also called an Executive Pastor (akin to the Chief Operating Officer of a company), would be primarily responsible for Operations, Administration, Finance, and Staff Management to support the Lead Pastor, and to support the implementation and accomplishment of the CLC’s Mission and Vision statement. These functions would also include working in tandem with the Lead Pastor on ministry evaluation, goal setting, strategy, development, and mentoring of lay leaders within the Congregation. The Operations/Executive Pastor’s responsibilities would be complementary to and supportive of the Lead Pastor’s functions. Both pastors are to be centered in Word and Sacrament, and to share in preaching (approximate 70/30 split), teaching, worship, pastoral care, and faith formation.
Core Values, Missions and Ministries: Through its extensive survey work, interviews, and information gathering, the Transition Team identified several primary themes from the congregation for affirming and strengthening the mission of CLC. These core values and themes are presented below:
- Maintain and Enhance a Lutheran Heritage of Worship
- Conduct worship in a manner that welcomes all participants regardless of church background
- Affirm and strengthen the diversity of worship at CLC
- Practice Holistic Caregiving for Health and Wellness
- Continue to develop and expand pastoral care and visitation
- Recruit and train more lay leaders
- Form Faithful Disciples
- Expand “faith stepping stones” to become a more holistic household ministry
- Expand small groups and cross-generational opportunities
- Increase Stewardship Awareness and Develop a Unified Vision
- Support continued development of stewardship committee to oversee year-round emphasis on the spiritual and faith components of financial stewardship
- Form a budget decision-making process that facilitates directing generosity primarily to the core missions of the congregation
- Further Service and Outreach Through Local Mission
- Develop proactive plans to outreach and minister to over-65 members and community
- Identify opportunities to serve in Douglas County and Denver-focused ministries
- Implement a Team Model of Leadership
- Enhance team culture at CLC through pastoral leadership, staff and lay members
- Implement regular evaluations and planning sessions between pastors, staff, and lay leaders
- Enhance Relationships in Affiliation with the Rocky Mountain Synod and ELCA
- Educate congregation about our partnership with Synod in mission in ELCA
- Develop plan to systematically increase benevolence giving
Areas of Improvement. The Transition Team identified the following for areas of improvement to strengthen CLC’s mission, vision, ministries, outreach, and service to members and the community:
- Enhance unique ministry needs across lifespan and generational demographics;
- Expand concept of faith stepping stones for children/youth/family ministries;
- Enhance adult education and small group opportunities;
- Focus stewardship on spiritual education and faith to increase holistic sense of mission; and also develop mission and budget planning in a manner that is broad-based and engages more CLC members;
- Refine Pastoral leadership structure to enhance opportunities for improvement in CLC administration, operations, planning and strategic decision-making;
- Increase mission support to and through the Rocky Mountain Synod and ELCA.
Please do not hesitate to contact me, a Council member, or Pastor Steve if you have any questions or would like to discuss. My email address is bretsumner@hotmail.com – please put CLC in the subject line. Thank you.
Onward and Upward,
–Bret Sumner, CLC Council President
Transition at CLC 