Z-Notes 11/19/20
Dear Third Church Friends,
You should know about some important process stuff going on behind the scenes at Third Church. I usually share these kinds of thoughts in the Messenger, but I wanted to get them out before that publication date. Thus, this will be more of a geeky article than is often the case.
A Mission Study Team (MST: Dianna Daunton, Kevin Dolohanty, Andrew Elder, Hope Herting, Linc Spaulding) has been meeting regularly and working vigorously over the last little while. They have conducted a congregational survey and have been chatting with committees to gather information about Third Church. Their goal: To prepare a Mission Study Report that summarizes the state of church life in a twentyish-page document that the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry (COM) can review and approve. When approved, Third Church will be given permission to elect a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) from among its members to begin their work. The MST is working feverishly to conclude their work by the end of the year so the PNC can get up and running early next year. (See Acronym Key below)
Another related group has been meeting a lot of late: the congregational Nominating Committee (elders Scott Anthony and Kathryn Thomas, deacon Pam Foye, trustee Dick Shellman, and at-large members Rich Colaluca, Betty Iwan, Wendy Shellman, Siri Baker, Dianna Daunton, and Beth Laidlaw). This committee is elected by the congregation annually to nominate elders, deacons, and trustees to serve for the next three-year rotation. Additionally, the important task of nominating PNC members falls to them. Even though we are not able to elect a PNC until COM gives us permission, we can be prepared to do so when that time comes.
These two groups are performing critical duties in the interim process. A couple of ways you can be helpful: 1) Please pray for all of them at this crucial time. 2) Please suggest thoughtful, calm, discerning, open-minded, Third Church Members for the Nominating Committee to consider as potential members of the PNC. Keep this caveat in mind: The PNC arguably has the most important work to do around here. PNC members will have to be in a position to make PNC work a priority in their lives for the next six to twelve months. No beating around that bush!! Trust my experience. If you can’t make that commitment, this work is not for you.
After employing that scare tactic, I can also happily say from experience that serving on a PNC offers a richness and rewards beyond expectation. Most members avow that their tour of duty serves as a highlight in their spiritual life and growth. From hindsight. 😊
That’s some of the stuff that is simmering around Third Church. Just in case you think that Covid-19 has completely bollixed everything up, I thought you might be encouraged to hear that we are progressing with some crucially-important work. Your thoughts and prayers are most welcome!!
Pastor Zomermaand
pastorz@thirdpresbyterian.org
Office: 585-271-6513, ext. 105; Cell: 618-606-1053 (after hours; emergencies)
Acronym Key:
MST: Our Third Church Mission Study Team, made up of Dianna Daunton, Kevin Dolohanty, Andrew Elder, Hope Herting, Linc Spaulding.
NC: Our congregational Nominating Committee. Members this year are elders Scott Anthony and Kathryn Thomas, deacon Pam Foye, trustee Dick Shellman, and at-large
members Rich Colaluca, Betty Iwan, Wendy Shellman, Siri Baker, Dianna Daunton, and Beth Laidlaw
PNC: Pastor Nominating Committee. This group has yet to be identified, but will be made up of eleven representative members of Third Church. They will write a Ministry
Information Form (see below), review candidates, and make a recommendation on a pastoral candidate to the congregation.
COM: The Committee on Ministry, Genesee Valley Presbytery: This group advises the PNC in the search process and reviews PNC actions throughout the process.
MIF: Ministry Information Form. (church resumé/position description) that the PNC writes and posts on the CLC (see below) website.
PIF: Pastor Information Form. The PCUSA resumé form for pastoral candidates. A rough guess is that Third Church should receive 100-200 PIFs to review.
CLC: Church Leadership Connection: the PCUSA national job bank and resource center for the search process. The CLC is the primary source of PIFs for the PNC’s consideration, although presbytery and synod executives can also recommend candidates to churches.