Tranisition Explained

For last night's Vision Night, our church was presented with the elders' strategy to enhance our desire for multiplication. In case you missed the meeting, or you just want to review some facts, here's the basic outline (I'll be sharing many more thoughts in the future.)

Outreach Pastor--With one of our four values being multiplication (community living, relevant worship, Biblical teaching being the other three) the elders desire to establish a position focussed on outreach. This pastor will need to have gifts in evangelism, have church planting experience, and be a people gatherer. Pastor Daniel becomes the obvious fit for this position.

As Outreach Pastor, Daniel will help our Body by:

1. Teaching evangelism classes
2. Overseeing outreach ministries and events (for our local community)
3. Leading prayer walks and other outreach developing events
4. Continue on as an elder at Grace

He will also be helping us multiply churches by:

1. Coaching Church planters (He and Teressa will not be planting churches, but rather, coaching others who will).
2. Recruiting Church planters.
3. Making contacts in new communities.

This will create a position that will require Daniel to be taken from some of his current responsibilities. Those responsibilities will be covered by the creation of a Teaching Pastor position. The Elders have asked me to step into this capacity. My basic responsibilities will be:

1. Preaching.
2. Oversight of curriculum and discipleship.
3. Guiding the Elder Team.
4. Vision casting.
5. General Administration.

This obviously will create a void in the Youth Pastor position. Please be in prayer with us as we begin the search for God's man for that position. Though we announced the "transition" last night, it will not be fully taking effect until June '06...so that we will be able to find that man before shifting positions.

Any change is exciting and at the same time scary. Please pray with us as we pursue God's vision for us together. If you have any questions, comments, advice, concerns or thoughts, please feel free to call me, email or even comment here on the blog.