October 27, 2019
Dear Parish Family,
Thank you for your prayers, and for your encouragement to all of us on the Immanuel Search Team. We are fully into Phase 2 of the Search Process. We have seven Candidates in review, and 2 additional Candidates who are praying about submitting their names. We requested Candidates to submit their names and information to us by October 25, so it’s possible we will receive additional Candidates by the time you read this message. We will also accept Candidates beyond that date, probably through November 1st.
So what is happening now? Each Search Team member is prayerfully and carefully reading the resume’ and Spiritual Autobiography for each Candidate, and assessing how well their information aligns to the qualities and experience defined in our Rector Profile (which you can find on the Immanuel website at https://www.immanuelanglicanchurch.org/rector-transition). Each Candidate has also provided links to three sermons, and we are prayerfully listening to each sermon and using a set of criteria to help us assess each message.
On November 9th, the Search Team will meet together in a day-long retreat, where we will pray about each Candidate individually, and then review and discuss our assessments. We will petition and listen for the Lord’s prompting to decide which Candidates will move to Phase 3. In Phase 3, we will request Candidates to provide us with written answers to questions we have prepared.
We are grateful for your prayers during this crucial time. Please pray for each Candidate, too. It is truly a step in faith for each of them to have prayed and submitted their name to our search process. They are each special to the Lord, and to our congregation, in offering themselves for consideration. Please continue to pray for the one Candidate that the Lord has already chosen for us, and that we will be graced with discernment.
Your servants in Christ,
The Search Team
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