Invite the congregation to bring a favorite Bible, possibly a family Bible, to church on Reformation Sunday. Bibles may be placed on the communion table or other special location. Or perhaps have the people hold onto theirs, raising them up during the dedication. Prior to the dedication someone might share a story of their Bible as a witness to the gift of scripture in daily life.
Read MoreWhere do you serve as an interim pastor and what drew you there?
Stuart: I serve First Presbyterian Church in Corinth, New York. They seemed to appear on my radar at just the time when I was considering a new call. My sense of them on our phone interview was that they were a faithful bunch who had a sense of humor — an indispensable element if we are going to be able to enjoy life together and move forward.
How do you approach the preaching task during a season of anxiety?
In some ways, I think we overstate the anxiety. Perhaps a third of the congregation’s anxiety is...
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In this letter (Paul's letter to the Philippians), we see how close they (Paul and Timothy) are. In fact, Paul gives Timothy quite a compliment. He says that Timothy is Christ-focused. His concern is, what does the Lord want rather than what can he get out of the deal. Paul says that that is so rare. He says, “I have no one like him.” Most folks are focused on their own interests rather than Jesus Christ.
And that is my first stop off in this message: Is that you? Are you that kind of rare person? Would someone watching what you do in a day or in a week say, “That man or that woman cares about what the Lord wants.”?
Sometimes we forget that the true goal of all of this is that we are being transformed, that we are becoming that kind of person.
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When forming a Pastor Nominating Committee, it is important to determine how a slate of candidates to serve will be selected. The current nominating committee of congregation may be tasked with this role. The session ruling elders may also play a role. Ultimately, the congregation will elect and commission the PNC.
Establish the criteria for nomination and the number of candidates you plan to commission. The size of a PNC depends in part on the size of the congregation and whether or not you plan to elect alternates. Decide how the chair and other roles will be determined.
Criteria to consider...
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- Spell out the steps from former pastor leaving to new pastor beginning using a roadmap graphic for print/handouts—see a sample roadmap below.
- Develop an interactive roadmap for digital applications such as the church website and social media.