Transitional Lead Pastor Update – January 2012

Joint Ministry Leaders & Elders Retreat & Process

Thank you for your prayers, emails, calls and connecting with me personally, to express your interest in the joint Ministry Leaders/Elders Retreat which was on January 13/14 at Camp Charis.

There were 23 in attendance and it was good to see elders and staff both sharing and laughing together. One of the objectives of this retreat time was to build mutual trust and respect and this certainly was present.

Barry Bowater led us through a process, which was developed by Dr. Adizes; it is an interactive session that focuses on surfacing and dealing with key issues which affect an organization’s effectiveness. It also is a process that moves discussion and sharing of information to implementation.

Barry incorporated work from the Re-Focusing process and we built off this.

Out of this weekend, we have identified key Potential Improvement Points, which need to be addressed. The first of these Improvement Points is under the area of Planning – dealing with Central Heights’ vision and planning process.

Addressing this point first will go a long way in helping to resolving many of the other needed Improvement Points.

There was brief discussion on the criteria for the kind of leader & leadership structure which will be needed for CHC; this is the beginning and out of this will come the search process.

A team was established from the weekend to work on this and we met this past Tuesday evening. Those on the team, in addition to me, are Gord Wiens, Tyson Kliem, Dave J Martens, Cam Broad, Lesley Unger, Sandy Driediger, Vonnie Enns, Lindsey Snell, Luella Schimpky and Matt Guynup.

We worked through a couple of questions:

1)      What is the ministry of CHC?

2)      Whom do we serve?

On Saturday morning, this team with the larger group will be meeting from 8:30 – noon. A draft Vision Statement and a Ministry Philosophy Statement will be presented and discussed. There certainly is more work to be done; yet there is excitement and encouragement that we are focusing on the implementation of information.

All this to be said, I do want to emphasize that while process is very important, it needs to be bathed in prayer and led by the Holy Spirit. We will begin our Saturday session with a focused time in prayer to listen to God and what He is saying through His Spirit about what has been drafted and this process. It is only as we listen to Him and agree to be led by Him, that we will become the church that He intends. This is about seeking God’s heart on what He has for CHC and also the heart of us as the people of CHC. I have sensed that there is a spirit of fear at Central Heights; it could be there for a number of reasons and others have confirmed this. We need to give this to God and allow Him to change our hearts.

February Concert of Prayer

The week of February 13, we will be having a Concert of Prayer as a church. More will be announced on this. It will be a time to seek God on the process we are on and also to release to Him our fears and encumbrances which are holding us from being the church that He has planned.

Elders Council

A Policy Task Group has been formed and will be chaired by Loren Warkentin; the purpose of this group is to review all of our Constitution, Bylaws and Guideline documents to bring the recommended changes to the AGM.

At the January 19 Elders’ Council, they approved to invite an additional 5-7 people to sit in on the EC meetings. They will not have voting rights, however, they certainly will be able to give input and some of these could very well allow their name to stand as Elders at the AGM. The Discernment Committee is working on this. We will let you know the names as soon as the invitation process is complete.

Summary Comments

I realize that you are not always able to see what we see in our roles. There is so much positive happening at Central Heights. We are striving to communicate this to you, for it brings encouragement and hope. On February 5 we will have a number of baptisms at both services. There is nothing like hearing the testimonies of those who are making the commitment to identify with Jesus through baptism. Cam will be leading this and it will be followed by communion. If you have been thinking about making this obedience step, I would strongly encourage you to let us know and be part of a great Sunday of celebration.

I will keep you informed as we move through this process. Please be in prayer, for, as I mentioned, we rely the work of the Holy Spirit at Central Heights.

Warmest blessings and love,

Pastor Bruce

CENTRAL HEIGHTS CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

November 20, 2011

Transitional Lead Pastor Update

It has been a blessing for Denise and me to be along side of you at Central Heights. We knew that the role was to invest in you as a church; we never anticipated how much you would invest in us. For that, we say a sincere thank you.

There are four key success factors for the TLP role which I was given when I came in April; these come directly from what was given to me by the Elder Council as an addendum to my agreement...

1)      Relational rifts among staff, and between elders and staff and congregation, need to be addressed in such a way as to restore harmony and trust.

2)      The re-visioning process must be completed so that staff and congregation are clear on who God has called as Lead Pastor to the church. (I sense there is a growing excitement about the open door that God has set before you).

3)      The operating documents have to be finalized, approved and implemented. This implementation is to be nurtured and evaluated.

4)      To foster within the congregation the virtues of prayer, confession, humility and patience.

I want to provide a brief update on these and will address under four  headings; Staff, Vision  & Search, Congregation, and Elder Processes  & Documents.

Staff:

I have made your staff the key priority. I have wanted to invest in them by spending time listening, helping them to understand how God has uniquely gifted them, working to develop a team culture and becoming a safe place, where they know I am available and they have my support and that they know I care about them.  I am so proud of them; they have us. (Denise is also available to meet as needed).

I especially want to thank Cam for the load that he carries; he is always willing to take what I ask of him.

I know that you have been concerned about the staff and how they’ve been doing over this past year. At a recent Ministry Leadership Team meeting, they asked to speak to you. (Rushia, Lesley, Tyson and Megan shared at the Congregational Meeting).

Vision & Search:

I have talked much about the unique ministry vision for Central Heights. Good work has been done through the re-focusing process. We are building off of it. It is not about what you want, the elders want or I want. It is what God wants and this is based on the ministry of grace; to genuinely love others as we have been loved by God.  When that happens at CHC, the Holy Spirit’s Power is released unlike anything that has ever been experienced before. The Ministry Leadership Team has been meeting to discuss what

CHC should look like three years from now. We can plan and strategize and goals are important; that being said, I received an email which stated that our authority is based directly proportional to our willingness to love you and each other, as God loves us. The vision based on loving relationships will then go to the Elder Council in preparation for a joint Elders/Pastoral staff retreat to be held on January 13 & 14.

Out of this, we want to draft what the Call of God is for CHC. This then leads directly into providing clarity on what we need in the new leader/leadership structure to see this vision accomplished.

Following the January retreat, we will come to you the Congregation, through various venues, such as small group forums and congregation meetings for input. It needs to be owned by all, for you are the church.  Once this occurs, we will begin the Search Process and I anticipate this being in late February or early March.

Congregation:

a)      Clear Communication:

I have been seeking to do this through my regular updates and being available to meet when I receive requests to do so. At times, it has taken a bit longer to get appointments scheduled, and thank you for bearing with me. As I have listened and there have been tears shed for CHC, I have gained much and you have allowed me to view the past through your lens. This has been invaluable and also taken lots of time; it has been a great investment.

Denise and I have also joined various groups to speak at and to play; I have given up trying to compete with Jim Hemmons on carpet bowling.

Also, many have sent emails, which I read and take seriously.

b)      Sunday Morning Ministry:

Preaching the Word has been another high priority. The team (Tim Klassen, Cam Broad, Dave Klassen, John Balzer and me) has been one I thank God for; each has taken the themes I have suggested, and God has used them.

I know you are asking, “What about one service?”  We will address this coming out of the vision process.

I have also wanted to feature our ministries and so far that has included Cheryl (Children’s Ministry) and Dick Hiebert (Caring Ministry); eventually we will get to all of them. As I mentioned last week in my message, when the early church heard about how God was working in their midst, it brought them joy and hope. We are doing the same. We need to tell the stories of changed lives and are working to regularly build these into our services.

Elder Processes & Documents:

This area has been one which so far has not had my full priority, though it does need help.  I am now starting to look at the processes and documents. At times, wading through policy documents can be tedious.

The Elders have completed a survey to provide informative data on their effectiveness. We are now collating this and will combine it with the Birkman process as we look at strengths, styles and blind spots, so that their effectiveness is maximized.

We have established a Discernment Committee to review how you bring on elders.  (More was shared during the Elders Update at the Congregational Meeting).

We circulated the Bylaws and Constitution with the intent to see them approved. In this process, we have heard from some of you, that there are some things missing. We want to do this right and also to be inclusive. There are people in our congregation whom God has gifted in this area with specific ability for policy governance. We need them and so we are not asking for ratification, rather, we will be seeking input from some in the congregation. Following this additional good work, we will come back to you, by the latest at the AGM, for final approval. This is a practice which perhaps has not been the strongest in the past; that is to seek input from you the church. We need to see this developed further and this could be a great beginning.

The elders have spent many hours on your behalf. I am seeing an excitement and even new energy as they think about vision and what God has for CHC; this was expressed quite strongly at the Elder Council meeting this past Thursday evening.

In closing, as I look back on my life, I have lived my life in the future-when I get this position, when I have this income, when the kids get older. The regret is that I did not live in the moment. Oh, that does not mean not planning; rather, it is enjoying God and each other today.

My prayer for CHC, is that you would live for today; yes, address what needs to be addressed and watch and see what God is doing today as we work together and love God, empower each other and grow in His love.

Pastor Bruce Gordon

November 20, 2011

TRANSTIONAL LEAD PASTOR’S UPDATE

TO THE CENTRAL HEIGHTS CONGREGATION

OCTOBER 2011

Warmest fall greetings to the Central Heights Congregation.

My last update was over the summer and it is certainly time to connect back with you.

I want to give you a brief update on what the focus has been going into this fall. It could be grouped under three areas.

Your Elders:

Communication is so important at all times and especially during times of transition like CHC is in. There was an Elders’ meeting on Thursday, October 20 and you will be receiving a summary on what was discussed and decisions made. This will be the first on a practice of providing this for the congregation following each Elders’ Council Meeting. The work load is growing and I am concerned for them and what these six men carry. We will be bringing 3-4 new names to you at the November 20 Congregational Meeting for the Membership to approve to add to the Elders Council.  The Elders have established a process to look at how elders are selected and ultimately chosen; this is such a crucial role for God’s church. Also, we have worked through the new Bylaws, Constitution and Core Values, which will come to you for your review at this meeting. I am reviewing the Governance Manual and after we have finalized, this will be placed on the church website, for your information.

Your Staff:

What a privilege it has been for Denise and me to be alongside your staff. There have been a few Team/Community sessions and we continue to align strengths with roles. As I mentioned when Cheryl gave an update, we are investing in your staff. One practical way has been to provide Cheryl with a strategic coach/mentor who has over 40 years experience in children’s ministry and has led a ministry of 400 young lives. Some of you have asked, “How are the staff doing?”, for this was a major concern when I first arrived. We talked about this at a Staff Team session this past Tuesday and it was such an encouragement to hear their positive comments. They have asked to share with you at the November 20 meeting.

Your CHC Vision & Search Process:

I have drafted a summary on vision for both the staff and elders, which they will be reviewing in November. When the ministry leaders and elders meet together on January 13 & 14, we will work towards a final draft. It is not complicated and builds off of where God has richly blessed and led CHC in the past, while including the good work done in the Refocusing process. We will then bring this to you at a future congregational meeting.

Some are also asking, “When will the search process be established?” For now, we are focusing on the vision, for this will determine what kind of leader(s) God will use to see this vision achieved.  I would like to see this in place, early in the New Year.

This is a brief overview for your information and also for prayer. When I spoke on October 9, I mentioned that this church will only be as strong as its prayer life. I do not know about you, but I find prayer takes hard work and discipline. Let’s together make it a priority, both in our personal time with God and in the various corporate times here at CHC.

Personally, Denise and I continue to thank you and thank God for you, and how you have embraced us into your lives; we do not take this for granted.

Warmest blessings and love in Him,

Pastor Bruce

Transitional Lead Pastor