Phase 4

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Phase 4: things are getting real.

Just by way of reminder, there are 4 phases in the pastoral search process:

  • Phase 2: Securing Candidates - During this phase, we made initial contact with a variety of candidates, some of whom were nominated by our congregation, some of whom were suggested by our consultants, and some of whom reached out to us because of our church & pastor profile.

  • Phase 3: Evaluating Candidates - As a committee, we broke into smaller teams to do “deep dives” on each viable candidate, listening to sermons, reading any blog or social media content, interview with the chairs, and familiarizing ourselves with the candidate’s history in ministry. When we felt that a candidate was potentially a good fit for Cambridge, we then began a series of interviews with the full PSC, evaluating each candidate along the way.

  • Phase 4: Selection of the Final Candidate - In the process of interviewing candidates, we have narrowed our search down to finalists. This is the phase we are in right now.

So what does Phase 4 mean?
It means that we have done multiple interviews - via Zoom and in-person - with our finalists and that they have visited CTK in person with their families. It means that the session and staff have had opportunities to meet and get to know these candidates and their families, and had a chance to give their feedback to the PSC. And it means that we as a PSC are now turning our attention to our final vote.

What comes next?
As the PSC makes its final deliberations regarding our finalists, the session will be working on a financial package for the final candidate, taking into account not only salary and benefits, but candidates’ family size and housing costs - which, if you’ve looked at Zillow lately, are no small factor.

Once the final vote happens and the financial package is in place, we will announce the final candidate to you during a Sunday service. I don’t think the City of Cambridge will approve the use of fireworks indoors in our historic building, but I’ll look into it. We will send out pictures and videos and links to sermons and all sorts of things so that you can get to know the final candidate better. We’ll also announce what events will be coming next, namely

  • Town Hall Meeting: where you can hear from the PSC, as well as from representatives of the elders and the staff, about the candidate and his family and why we feel he is the right pastor for CTK. There will then follow an open time for questions from the congregants for either the PSC or the elders.

  • Week of Prayer: a time leading up to the candidating weekend for the congregation to come together for times of corporate prayer as we prepare to meet the candidate and eventually take the congregational vote.

  • Candidating Weekend: a weekend when the candidate and his family will come to Cambridge and there will be various events where you can get a chance to talk to him and his family, and he will preach on Sunday morning in the service.

  • Congregational Meeting: one week after the candidating weekend, we’ll hold a congregational meeting where the congregation will vote on whether or not to call the final candidate to be the next senior pastor at CTK.

After the congregational meeting, we’re not quite done yet — the candidate will then need to go through the presbytery process. There will need to be a Presbytery vote where the congregation’s call is approved by the Southern New England Presbytery. This step can only happen once the congregation has voted to call the candidate as pastor. When this date is determined, we will notify the congregation so that we can join together in prayer for that meeting.

How can you be praying now?
I’m so glad you asked!

As always, please be praying for the PSC, for wisdom and discernment, and for ever-increasing trust in the Lord to provide.

Please also be praying for our elders, as they put together a financial package for the candidate. As Tim Dietz shared in Sunday’s announcement, there will be some expenses associated with bringing a new pastor on board, in addition to the other expenses of the church in this season (such as substantial building repairs) and they need wisdom in discerning how best to steward the church’s finances.

Please also be praying about the ways in which we as a congregation can welcome this new family to Cambridge and to CTK. We will be organizing a welcome team to help them transition to the area, and if you have ever made a big move, you know that there are myriad ways to be helpful in that process.

So, judging from the length of this blog post alone, there is clearly a lot left to be done. But we as a PSC - along with the session and staff - are so excited about these finalists and about where we are in the process. I, for one, am bursting at the seams to be able to announce a decision about the final candidate. And you might think, “Laura, that’s just ‘cause you’re tired of PSC meetings every week.” Au contraire, mes frères et soeurs. PSC meetings have been an encouraging and sometimes even (dare I say it?) fun experience. No, my excitement comes from the desire to share with you all in greater detail the faithfulness that God has shown to us throughout this process, and to share our eagerness for and anticipation of what God will be doing next in this coming season at CTK.

Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

- from Psalm 100