Please see our updates at http://www.coolpastor.com
The following is a confidential report :-) on several candidates your search team has considered for lead pastor:
Adam
Good man but problems with his wife. Also one reference told of how his wife and he enjoy walking nude in the woods.
Noah
Former pastorate of 120 years with not even one convert. Prone to unrealistic building projects.
Abraham
Though the references reported wife-swapping, the facts seem to show he never slept with another man's wife, but did offer to share his own wife with another man.
Joseph
A big thinker, but a braggart, believes in dream-interpreting, and has a prison record.
Moses
A modest and meek man, but poor communicator, even stuttering at times. Sometimes blows his stack and acts rashly. Some say he left an earlier church over a murder charge.
David
The most promising leader of all until we discovered the affair he had with his neighbor's wife.
Solomon
Great preacher but our parsonage would never hold all those wives.
Elijah
Prone to depression. Collapses under pressure.
Elisha
Reported to have lived with a single widow while at his former church.
Hosea
A tender and loving pastor but our people could never handle his wife's occupation.
Deborah
Strong leader and seems to be anointed, but she is female.
Jeremiah
Emotionally unstable, alarmist, negative, always lamenting things, reported to have taken a long trip to bury his underwear on the bank of a foreign river.
Isaiah
On the fringe? Claims to have seen angels in church. Has trouble with his language.
Jonah
Refused God's call into ministry until he was forced to obey by getting swallowed up by a great fish. He told us in the phone interview the fish later spit him out on the shore near here. We hung up.
Amos
Too backward and unpolished. With some seminary training he might have promise, but has a hang-up against wealthy people--might fit in better in a poor congregation.
Melchizedek
Great credentials at current work place, but where does this guy come from? No information on his resume about former work records. Every line about parents was left blank and he refused to supply a birth date.
John
Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn't dress like one. Has slept in the outdoors for months on end, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational leaders.
Peter
Too blue collar. Has a bad temper-even has been known to curse. Had a big run-in with Paul in Antioch. Aggressive, but a loose cannon.
Paul
Powerful CEO type leader and fascinating preacher. However, short on tact, unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh and has been known to preach all night.
James & John
Package deal preacher & associate seemed good at first, but found out they have an ego problem regarding other fellow workers and seating positions. Threatened an entire town after an insult. Also known to try to discourage workers who didn't follow along with them.
Timothy
Too young!
Methuselah
Too old . . . WAY too old!
Jesus
Has had popular times, but once his church grew to 5000 he managed to offend them all, and then this church dwindled down to twelve people. Seldom stays in one place very long. And, of course, he's single.
Judas
His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections. Knows how to handle money. We're inviting him to preach this Sunday. Possibilities here.
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Last night, a wonderful man and his wife came to town and had dinner with much of the leadership of our church. I am on the edge of my seat today wondering..."What wonders is God up to even now?"
Whether or not this family is the one God is personally calling to be a part of our Church Family, I can't say, of course! But I do know this: God is not sleeping! He is not napping until the moment when decisions are made by the humans on earth! In fact, I am optimistic that even now, he is about the business of our healing.
We have been 8 months without a "Lead Pastor." There is a *reason* for this! God has been laying on my heart the blessing that comes in resting in His will and right now, his ordained, perfect, holy will is that we not have a Lead Pastor. His ways are definitely not our ways. (Again, I am soooo thankful for Pastor Dean and Pastor Tony and the other people who God is using! :-))
I keep wondering if our King and Lord--the God of the Universe--doesn't want me, you, all of us to be about some business that needs doing. He wants to heal our wounds, to challenge us to rise up. He wants us to mend bridges that have been broken down, to break down barriers we have allowed to arise between us.
Am I willing to wait in this moment for Him to touch my heart, to heal it, and then to reach out to another? To be kind when I don't feel like being kind? Am I willing to put a lock on my lips when a criticism seems ready to slide out?
Am I willing to go deeper, even, than these things...and to be still and know that He is God? If I am driven by an inner neediness that says we must have a lead pastor--and NOW!!!--am I willing to bring that insistence to God? To ask *Him*..."God, what is driving this neediness? Somehow, like a young child who refuses to stay still to have a cut doctored by his loving momma, all my drivenness and busy-ness may be keeping me from experiencing that which the Balm of Gilead desires to do in my life!
Even now, the Lord desires to do great things in our midst. Sure, once we have a lead pastor, we will be ready to go into hyper-drive, but what about now? Our God isn't still. He isn't silent. He is busy, active...what wonders is he performing even now?
It has occurred to me...I am not sure this blog is appropriately titled. Sure, most of us at Cool Community Church would agree with the statement that we "need" a pastor, but I think the Lord must disagree with that sentiment at this time! If we truly "needed" a pastor, we would have one!
As I think about it, we really *don't* "need" a pastor, perhaps. Or at least not in the way we might have thought initially. As I think about it, right now we have EIGHT "pastors!" WOW! That is a lot of men who are willing to serve and lead our church. There is Pastor Dean--what a blessing this man is as he faithfully preaches Sunday after Sunday! And Pastor Tony...what a shepherd he is as well--not just for the youth. He has a passion for our congregation as a whole and prays---OH! Does Pastor Tony ever pray for us!
But beyond that, we also have SIX men who "pastor" our church as elders. In fact, when we look at the greek words for elder, overseer and pastor, they are all used to describe the same persons in the New Testament. These men and Pastor Tony and Pastor Dean, ALL "shepherd" us, the sheep here at Cool Community Church. Really, we are SO blessed to have these 8 men serving the Lord and our Body here at our Church!
Thank you, Lord, that you have chosen these men for this season of life to lead our Church. Please continue to give them wisdom and strength to lead and direct according to your plan for us. We pray that, in your time, we will have a man who you have called to join us as "Pastor" here in Cool, but until then (and beyond), may we be grateful for the men who you have placed over us, according to your will. In Jesus' Name and for His sake, Amen.
I am so excited. My baby (who is 15, but who has never gone away from home like this) has gone on a trip with others from my church without me--an evangelism trip for four days. I was "supposed" to go and that changed at the last moment...my car is there, my baby is there, but I am home praying--which is RIGHT what I am supposed to be doing!
Isn't it amazing that about 16 people--mostly 17-20 years of age--from Cool Community Church are willing to take four days of their time to go to an evangelism conference and to go to the "unknown parts" to share their faith with others? Astonishing! God is at work!
And these folks are representative of others in our midst.
You see, even though we are without a pastor, ministry marches onward. God is at work in His people at Cool Community Church--even while we don't have a pastor. :-) I am excited that in spite of lacking a lead pastor, people are stepping up to the plate and listening to the ultimate "lead pastor"--our Chief Shepherd and Overseer, Jesus!
AWANA has gotten off to a great start. There are classes for all ages going on during the hour before church. Neighborhood Fellowship groups have been launched and most are focusing on the material "Live Like You Were Dying." A morning women's bible study has begun with an incredibly good turnout as we focus on simplifying our lives (ironic, really!).
Other ministries continue to move forward, too. For instance, the "Cool Gathering" food distribution is reaching out to more people and families than ever to date! We have an incredible Christmas Tea planned for early in December and even tonight there is a Harvest Event going on at the church with a cake walk and candy hand-outs. God's people are gathering and reaching out to one another and to the community!
While I don't think it wise to point at "works" as indicative necesssarily of the health of a church, what it does say to me in our case is that we aren't going to sit on the sidelines and just wait passively for the Lord to bring us a pastor to ignite in us a desire to be involved in the world and in one another's lives. That is pretty cool. We are getting in the game and actively waiting, instead. We are doing life. We are growing and learning and serving and loving.
It has been my prayer that, just as the Lord is forming and shaping HIS gift for us--His man as our lead pastor--that he will also form and shape us. I am praying that we will allow Him to change us from the inside out so that when it is HIS time for HIS man to join us, we will be as a gift to the new pastor as well.
In the meantime (and beyond)...Ministry Marches On! For the Name and Sake of Christ and all the people He came to the earth to love and to whom He gives His life!
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 completely humble and gentle;
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
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