I hate elections. People vote for people or things for all kinds of reasons. At the end of the day, when we "vote" on calling our next pastor, every member of the 
church who is not under discipline gets to vote, regardless of where they are in their spiritual walk, how involved they are in the church, their motives, agendas or anything else. Perhaps I'm the only one who fears that, at least on the surface, the process looks too much like a popularity contest and an "election." (I'm sure I bring a lot of baggage into this discussion by being a preacher's kid.)
So, how can I have confidence in our ability, as a church, to "vote in" the "right man" to lead us as pastor?
Honestly, there is a part of me that says we'd all be alot better off if we could just follow the process outlined in Acts chapter 1, when the disciples chose a "12th apostle" to replace Judas. They proposed two men, Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. "Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over the apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.' Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles" (Acts 1: 23-26).
Casting lots. It's an interesting way of ascertaining God's will. The practice was used in the Old Testament and the "theology" behind it is found in Proverbs 16:33:
"The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD."
The beauty of the practice was that people didn't get in the way. No agendas. No manipulation. They trusted the Lord to reveal his will through the casting of lots, and as far as I know, no one ever suggested that they should go "two out of three" when the first one didn't go the way that they wanted.
There is no indication, however, that the practice was ever used by the early church after Pentecost. Once the Holy Spirit came and indwelt the church, the belief was that the practice was no longer necessary or appropriate.
So, given that we have to trust the decision on our next lead pastor to men and women who will "vote," how can we be confident that God's will, rather than the desires of one person or group, will carry the day? I think that the short answer lies in the process that was created for the church calling a pastor.
The process for Cool Community Church calling a pastor was established at a time when the question could be considered apart from any urgent need to call one, and that process is filled with a series of "checks" which not only provide a means for finding the right man, but are designed to help us to avoid calling the wrong man.
The process is set out in Article VII, Section B.1 of the church's Constitution and By-Laws, our "governing" document, and its pretty straight forward:
1. When the need for a "Lead Pastor" arises, the Elder Board is to form a "Pastoral Search Committee;"
2. The Pastoral Search Committee is to investigate the needs of the church and possible candidates, and make a recommendation of a candidate to the "Church Board" (which is functionally the Elder Board, since there is no Lead Pastor);
3. The Church Board is to invite the candidate recommended by the Search Committee to preach, lead worship, or do whatever else they think is appropriate. If possible, the candidate is to remain in the community for several days, and then meet with the Church Board;
4. If, and only if, each and every member of the Elder Board approves, a special business meeting is noticed and called to consider the candidate, who will only be called if he receives a minimum affirmative vote of 75% of the members present at that meeting.
O.K. So why should we be confident in this process? First, the Search Committee is not "selected at random" from the membership of the church. Those appointed to this committee have been carefully considered, prayed over, and selected unanimously by the elders. They represent a cross-section of our church body, coming from a variety of backgrounds and bringing a variety of perspectives. They are "the" group that the Elder Board thought best suited from among the membership of the church to evaluate the needs of the church, screen candidates and make a recommendation to the church of the individual they, as a group, think the Lord is calling to be the next Pastor at Cool Community Church. This is the first check in the process.
But the process doesn't end there. Next, the individual recommended by the Search Committee is invited to preach and spend time with the church body. This is designed not only to give the church the opportunity to hear the "candidate" preach, but to get to know him to some degree. (This also gives the candidate the opportunity to get to know us, as well. )
But the church still isn't given the opportunity to vote on him. Not yet. First, each member of the elder board must approve of the candidate being presented to the church membership for a vote. Thus, if one single elder believes this candidate should not be considered by the church, he simply can't be considered by membership. The requirement here for absolute unity is not an accident. No one has the "right" to be considered by the church as a whole. The decision is simply considered to be too important to allow consideration of the candidate where even one member is in doubt. In the event there is not unanimity, the Search Committee will resume its search and in time will recommend another candidate, who will be put through the same process. This is the second check.
Finally, only after the Search Committee has recommeded a candidate, he has preached and interacted with the body, and after the Elder Board has unanimously recommeded the candidate for consideration by the membership, does the membership get to vote. If, and only if the candidate receives an affirmative vote of 75% of the members present can he be called. A simple majority doesn't cut it. If he gets 74%, the process restarts, and the Search Committee goes back to work. This is the third check in the process.
But that's still not the end. The candidate still has to say "yes." Don't assume that a potential pastor will say "yes," just because he expressed an interest in serving as our pastor, has met with the search committee, preached, met with the church body, met with the elders and allowed the membership to vote. Many men have convictions regarding the minimum affirmative vote they are willing to accept, and have turned down pastoral positions even though they received more than the minimum vote required by the church that was "calling" them. Others have simply felt, at the end of the process, that they were not being "called" to pastor the church. This is the final check.
This process is designed not only to bring us the "right" man, but to prevent us from calling the "wrong" man, by not trusting the decision to any one person or even any group of persons.
As someone, who hates "voting," I believe and trust that if we faithfully follow this process the Lord will not only reveal to us, but bring us the man that he has called to be our next shepherd. That may mean that in the end some of us might not get what we wanted, but in the long run (or maybe even the short run) that could be best. Remember, that when facing the prospect of having to fight for the land of Caanan, the Israelites were ready to stone Moses and Aaron, and to choose a new leader to take them back to Egypt (Num. 14). The Israelites were just as sure that they wanted and needed a king (1 Sam.8) - that is, until after God gave them one(1 Sam 12:19).
~ Bob Bylsma
God has put in our hearts a longing, a desire--each one of us--for certain godly traits and characteristics in the next man who will be our lead pastor, our shepherd, at Cool Community Church. There can be no mistake--we feel passionately about who this man is and what he will be like!
I am so thankful that so many have voiced such earnest desire.
By the same token, I know it is vital that we all hearken to One Voice and One Voice only--and that is the Lord's Voice. When we all take the time to be still and know that He is God, I believe we will all hear His Voice. This Voice isn't likely to be audible, but the scriptures clearly teach "his sheep follow him because they know his voice (John 10:4)." We will know in our spirits when we hear Him.
HIS voice will lead us to HIS choice.
So, then, let us pray and, even, fast that we might all hear HIS voice. And in humility trust that God will use the process established to bring about His will.
At the same time, it is vital that we realize there is a very real enemy who wants the body at Cool Community Church divided, confused, and fighting amongst ourselves. There is an enemy who rejoices gleefully when we argue, backbite, gossip and fight. Do we really want to give him fuel for his evil fire? Scripture teaches us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Scripture also teaches that Satan has a will and that he wants to take us captive to do that will (2 Timothy 2:26).
Let us remember this and that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:13). If you have a quarrel with me or I with you or someone else on the search team, the elder board, on the youth leader team or someone seemingly sitting in the congregation passively or someone who no longer fellowships with us on Sundays...whatever it may be...our quarrel is really not with them. The enemy loves it when we think it is. The spiritual assault is real. We are being messed with by the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. God says this is so!
Fortunately, he also says these things:
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:57, 58).
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37)"
Yes, it is true, we are in a battle and sometimes we forget this and say and do things that carelessly contribute to the enemy's strategies to divide us.
Let us remember we don't war with one another. We war with an evil enemy who wants to snuff out any light shining at all in Cool, California. Let us put on the full armor of God and be aware of the enemy's schemes so that we don't fall prey to them (Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 2:11).
Let us do that which builds up and brings unity, rather than that which can bring division.
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:2, 3
In response, the LORD told Moses to lay his hands on Joshua and to commission him before the high priest and the entire assembly. Moses was told to give him some of his authority so the whole community would obey him. And Moses did as the LORD instructed him.
Have you ever wondered why God called Joshua and not Caleb to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Both Joshua and Caleb had been sent into Canaan to explore the land. It was Caleb who had first “silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Num. 13:30). The Bible says repeatedly that Caleb “wholeheartedly served the LORD.” Moreover, he was a leader from the tribe of Judah. (Num. 13:6) He was not only a strong spiritual leader, but a warrior, as well. Caleb was forty when Moses sent him into Canaan. Forty-five years later he told Joshua: “Here I am today, eight-five years old. I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then” (14:7:12). And off he went to drive the Anakites out of their large and fortified cities. Sounds like he would have been a good choice to me!
Sure, Joshua had served as Moses’ aide since he was a youth (Num. 11:28). But, there is nothing to suggest that Moses presumed that Joshua should succeed him in leading the people, or that Joshua was even equipped to lead them. Nevertheless, it was Joshua and not Caleb that God chose as Moses’ successor, and He told Moses how to facilitate the transition in leadership by preparing the Israelites to accept him as their leader when the time came.
Later, when he assumed command of the Israelites, the people responded to Joshua saying: "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.” (Jos. 16-17).
And they did. In Joshua 24, we’re told that “Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the leaders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.”
The Israelites’ response to this transition in leadership was not to tell Joshua “you’re no Moses.” No one asked why he thought he was any better suited to lead them than anyone else. Nor did Caleb or those who undoubtedly supported him complain that he wasn’t chosen.
I am hopeful that when we call our new pastor, we too will unite behind him, just as the Israelites united behind Joshua. Let’s acknowledge his calling by the Lord, even if he isn’t the “Moses” who came before him or the “Caleb” who was available and looked good, but wasn't called.
Today, I want to share with you something I am thankful for. In doing so, I offer an "inside insight" to your pastoral search team.
Mike Cassidy and Gil Beaird are the elders represented on our search team. In addition to these men, we have Dick Folwarkow (who has served as an elder in years past) and Andy Fisher serving. Janet Lomas, Debbie Hansen and myself (Heidi Bylsma) are the remaining three to comprise your seven-person pastoral search team.
What an amazing group of people for me to get to interact with. Getting to know each of these men and women better has already blessed my life immeasurably. I truly do thank God for their presence in our flock!
When the search team met for the first time over a month ago, my concern was how God would take seven people--all with different hopes, dreams and expectations--and unite us as one heart and voice. What's more, how could we even begin to define what the body at Cool Community Church longs for and, most of all, accurately discern what God wants for us?
On Monday night, our search team met for the fourth time. It is already clear to me that God is uniting our hearts in a way that only He can! The comraderie and joy--even laughter!--as well as the ability to speak truth (with grace) to one another is so encouraging to me.
What I have seen is that certain things have come to the surface as the seven of us have interacted with many of you or heard your heart in our conversations with you. We each listen for God's voice, of course, through personal prayer and time in God's Word. God is faithful! The Shepherd's voice is definitely being heard! When we got together Monday night, there was a "hum" to our time that I feel only God could orchestrate. There IS unity in what we, on the search team, are discerning.
I am so thankful for these men and women and the way God is at work in our lives! It really is a *joy* to connect with them each time we meet. Their love for the Lord is so evident. Each takes the responsibility of being on this search team to heart. The sense of responsibility, in fact, is great. Please know that we don't take it lightly at all.
While I can't disclose the details of how all of these blessings on the search team are becoming so very evident, I do want you to have a sense of joy at this fact. I know it is the answer to many prayers being prayed. We continue to covet your prayers as we continue through this process.
Some of us may have to remember what it was like to be children to capture a sense of what I am talking about. But do you remember? That feeling that you know you are really going to get a gift that is something super special? You had something on your wish list for forever and you knew your parents were acting funny--like they had a really great plan in store for Christmas. You could tell they were bursting with a desire to spring it on you early. They were excited about Christmas too...a sure giveaway that they planned on making your dreams come true!
Oooh! I get excited enough to jump out of my chair as I even think about it!
Because here is the thing...this isn't just well meaning parents we are talking about. In our case right now, here on the Georgetown Divide in Cool, California...God is the giver! Isn't that an amazing thought? I mean, if you have needs, desires, and dreams and God is the one giving you the gift that will bring your soul to that place of joy, peace, confidence and "Ahhh...THIS is it!!!" Can you imagine? OOOOooooh! It makes my heart sing!
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.
- James 1:17
God is an amazing "gift giver." He doesn't give socks in awful colors or neckties that will never see the light of day.
Right now, we are looking forward to the day when God will be giving us a gift. An incredible gift. A new pastor!
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists,
and some to be pastors and teachers...
- Ephesians 4:11
In Ephesians 4, we are told that God gives us pastors as one of His gifts to us, His people! Right now, while we don't have a lead pastor, God is forming and shaping the PERFECT present for us! His man for us! I am so excited! There is a day coming when he will wrap this gift up with a bow as it were and present him to us. We can have confidence that this is so. The bible says it is so. God says it is so. I can't wait, but I know that all the wait will be worth it. It may take two months, it make take two years (I hope not!). But however long it takes, the gift God gives us will be perfect!
1 Tim. 6:6 tells us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
In Exodus 16, the Israelites were a month out of Egypt and they began grumbling. They said to Moses and Aaron:
"If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
In response, the LORD said to Moses: "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
And so, God gave them manna, which when translated means “what is it?” It consisted of white flakes, which tasted like wafers made with honey. Ex. 16:31. And God proceeded to feed his people, miraculously, in the desert for forty years, until they reached the land God promised them. Ex. 16:35.
Forty years. Now, I like honey flavored wafers as much as the next guy. But for forty years?
I think it’s easy for us to look at this and to see both God’s miraculous provision for his people and his faithfulness, day after day. I’m sure there were times when the Isrealites could see that, as well.
Yet, what initially seems miraculous can, over time, become monotonous. We can grow weary of the same thing, day after day. What we once clearly saw as “miraculous,” becomes “ordinary,” and simply a normal part of life, as we lose sight of God’s provision. (Have you ever thought of those Israelites who were born in the desert? They never knew anything different. As are as they knew, it was supposed to rain manna in the desert!)
I can imagine that it would be hard to find contentment eating the same thing, day after day, year after year. Clearly, there were times when the people struggled with it.
In the same way, how many things do we either take for granted or struggle to find contentment in, focusing on what we don’t have, rather than God’s provision in our lives. We simply come to expect good health, a job, or whatever, until suddenly they’re gone. Only then do we do back looking to God for our provision.
I suppose the same can be true in our church. We can take our pastors for granted, quietly (or not so quietly) grumbling about the length or content of a sermon, how we didn’t like the song selection, or some other way that ministry is or isn’t being done.
Perhaps this is a good time to regain our perspective and focus on the things God has and continues to provide us with, and to find contentment where he has us right now, in both our home and our church life.
Application Queston: Take a step back from those things that have become ordinary and reflect on God's provision, both in your life and in our church and thank him for his faithfulness. Try making a list of five ways in which God has demonstrated his faithfulness and take time to thank him for those things.
When I come inside after doing this, I peel off my socks and there, on my ankles, are red lines rimming where all the red dirt has been plastered onto my sweaty skin along the sock line and above. It is disgusting, to say the least! I can't imagine heading for the couch and putting my foot up on Michaela's lap (she's my 15 year old daughter) and saying, "Will you give me a foot rub?" when my feet are in that condition!
When my ankles and feet look like that, I am often reminded of what it must have been like to be in sandals all the time during the days Jesus walked the earth. With dusty roads and sandaled feet, it was no small wonder that servants were assigned to wash the feet of visitors to homes...who would want that much dirt tracked in? :-) This is especially true when you consider that they often reclined and enjoyed meals together, basically on the floor...and the feet of one visitor might be in the face of another! Yikes!
I wonder what it would have been like to have the job of washing the feet of people whose feet weren't covered by shoes and socks as they meandered around on the dusty streets (mixed with "dirt" from various animals who also wandered the same streets). These feet likely had dirt in the toenail cuticles and under the toenails, embedded into any wrinkles between the toes or on the heels where "weathering" caused calluses and other fun foot "issues." And if they had been sweating, I imagine the effect was all the more...well, you get the idea, I bet! I wonder if Jewish folks during Jesus' day battled with foot fungus? :-)
When Jesus took up the towel to wash his disciples' feet just hours before he went to the cross, it was no accident. He knew precisely what he was doing.
you also should wash one another's feet.
15I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you.
-John 13: 14, 15
Jesus knew that the time to go to the cross was nearing and he chose to illustrate an important principle by doing something pretty extreme.
In fact, during those last days before the crucifixion, Jesus went from a very public ministry to private meetings where he taught a smaller group of disciples the "final things" that he wanted them to know--to prepare them for life without him present with them in the way to which they had grown accustomed.
It reminds me of the way a loving mother, who knows she is dying of cancer and has little time left, might gather her children close to be sure to impart to them life lessons she wants them to understand before she is no longer with them.
The people had enjoyed Jesus in their midst for three years. Jesus was God. He knew that they might despair, be taken by surprise, so he wanted them to know Truth.
And as much as we love Pastor Mike, his departure can't possibly leave as huge a vacuum for us as Jesus' leaving did for the disciples! :-)
Nevertheless, the instructions to the disciples that Jesus gave during his last days with them about how they should live when he would no longer be with them apply to our situation now that we no longer have a lead pastor among us.
We are without our human leader as were they.
Some of us have despaired, been shocked by the events that have unfolded in recent months here in Cool, just as they may have been by what they experienced.
It is fair to say principles that applied to them, apply for us as well.
What did Jesus tell them to do, be, think, feel? We can certainly do, be, think, feel likewise during our time without a lead pastor.
After the crucifixion came the resurrection, after all! After night, there is always morning. After winter, is spring! God wants to infuse our hearts with hope! Jesus wanted to infuse hope into the lives of his followers, too.
So what *did* he share with them? I love reading John 13-16 to glean what I can from the text. John 17 is amazing, too, of course! As I read, I keep in mind that these events, teachings, words, illustrations, came from the precious Lamb of God, just hours before he died on the cross.
Jesus chose the intimacy of smaller meetings with his disciples to be sure he imparted crucial principles he wanted them to embrace once he was gone. In John 13, he did this both visually (in the washing of the disciples' feet) and in his teaching, illustrating and teaching about the importance of serving and loving one another.
Now that they would be without His presence among them, He had specific instructions that would benefit them. What are they? "Love one another." He illustrated this with an act of self-sacrifice and humility, taking on the nature of the lowliest of servants to remove the day's dirt from feet that never had seen a pedicure!He drove his point home, challenging the disciples to wash one another's feet, as well. In what ways can we wash one another's feet?
At the heart of the visual illustration is this:
Love one another.
As I have loved you,
so you must love one another.
35By this all men will know
that you are my disciples,
if you love one another."
-John 13:34-35
If you and I were to focus on loving one another, on serving one another for the next year, how might it affect us? And how might it affect the Georgetown Divide? Jesus told the disciples that all men will know that they were his disciples in this way--by the way they loved one another. It is odd, really. He didn't, at this time, commission them to try harder than ever to love those outside the circle of faith--of course that is a godly principle. But at this time, the time when they were feeling most abandoned, perhaps, by their Teacher, he told them if they wanted the world to see that they had a true, abiding faith, the way to do that was by loving one another.
I think it is no accident that Jesus encouraged his disciples just before he left them to look upon one another and to act in love.
Sometimes it is even easier to love those outside our church body than it is to love others within...but we are told that when we serve one another and love one another, those who see us who don't yet know the Lord will know that we love God.
So here is the question...how can we love each other practically in the body of Christ? What are ways that I love another person who attends Cool Church? When I choose to love another believer, this is what causes those who don't yet know Christ to recognize that Jesus changes lives!
Let's allow Him to work in us a supernatural love for one another in the days ahead! As we do so, the world will take notice that we know the True, Living God!
Application question: What can I do today to demonstrate a doing love for another person who considers Cool Community Church their home church? What can I do to follow Jesus' example in washing the feet of someone who I see on Sunday mornings?