Moving in the right direction

According to our synod advisors, your Call Committee is proceeding well and is in a good place considering the time involved. (They consider the months of pastoral vacancy as the benchmark, not the length of time since we organized.)  We too have had indications of progress and are grateful for that.  Slowly and quietly we move along the process. Thanks for your prayers and kind words of support.

Joanna Swanson, chairperson,
Call Committee for Senior Pastor

Slow, But Steady Progress

During the past month we were introduced to several new candidates, conducted initial interviews, and also met with Bishop Craig Johnson.

Insights from the bishop included:

• An affirmation of our timing. We actually are ‘ahead of schedule,’ although their frame of reference starts with a pastoral vacancy, not when the committee was formed.
• One ramification of the current economic climate is a general reluctance for pastors to relocate. It translates particularly in selling and purchasing of homes.

The synod has established a protocol for calling a pastor that affects how soon a pastor can begin to serve a new parish.

A very basic, ‘barebones’, general outline follows. Once the call committee arrives at a recommendation, the chairperson requests that the synod make its mandatory background check. (This may take at least a month.) The Church Council meets with the Call Committee to discuss and presumably then accepts the Call Committee’s recommendation. The council arranges for a congregational meeting where the congregation will vote to call the new pastor. Following the issue of the call, the candidate responds within a month. Assuming the response is positive, additional time (at least another month) is needed at the current call before the pastor is able to arrive at Normandale. Specific candidates may have other commitments that introduce more variation to that time frame. All of this adds up to a lengthy final chapter.

While we live in a culture impatient with delays, these transition periods should not be thought of as periods of idle waiting. God teaches us in the unexpected, unplanned, or ‘in between’ portions of our lives. This too can be a rich spiritual journey.

Joanna Swanson, chairperson,
Call Committee for Senior Pastor

Click to Archives for past newsletter stories

Introduction

L to R: Gina Drazan, Ken Heinecke, Joanna Swanson, Hans Quitmeyer, Maggie Valenta, Diane Brady, Lloyd Svendsbye, & John Devine. Not Pictured: Mark Eckstein

This article introduces you to the Senior Pastor Call Committee. We are honored by your trust, grateful for this opportunity to serve our Lord, and humbled by the task before us. We already sense God’s hand at work within the committee and the process. This group of nine (plus two alternates) brings diversity in their interests, awareness of programs and ministry, and expertise. We stand united in our commitment to seek and follow God’s guidance. A deep, shared affection for Normandale, gratitude for its many facets of ministry, and hope in our future under gird our work.

In mid October the Call Committee began a process to become immersed in an awareness of Normandale’s strengths and distinctiveness. This is a crucial preparatory step as we move towards an understanding of the congregation’s expectations in a senior pastor.

You also play a role in the call process. We firmly believe that your prayer life will assist us as we learn and grow together. As the months unfold, you will want to extend your prayers to include future candidates, our dedicated staff, and the entire transition process.

As we look towards the future, we want to know what characteristics in the role of Senior Pastor of Normandale are most important to you. Your ideas can be passed on to us verbally, by using the same form available for recommending pastors, or leaving a note in the office for the Call Committee.

Names of possible candidates will come to us from several sources: while the Minneapolis Area Synod works with pastors within this synod, our members can recommend ELCA pastors from other areas or synods which will then be filtered on to the synod for their review. If you know of a pastor whose gifts and experience are appropriate for our call and your prayer life endorses this, submit that pastor’s name to the Call Committee. Forms will be available at the Welcome Center and the church office from November 9 – February 1, 2009.

Your Call Committee welcomes conversation, questions, and your interest because we realize they are all rooted in your love for our Lord and His church.

Your servant in Christ,
Joanna Swanson, Chairperson

Congregational Profile

New! God's Work. Our Hands - Congregational Profile

Normandale Family and Friends,  

As your Call Committee moves towards the next phase in our mission, we decided to place key information for candidates on our website.  Those of you who love this congregation and pray faithfully for Normandale may find this information both interesting and beneficial. Prospective pastoral candidates will find it informative. The ‘Congregational Profile’ reflects your insights and priorities as well as The Call Committee’s understanding of our congregation.  

Joanna Swanson, chairperson   

References

Listed here are references for Normandale in our search for a Senior Pastor.

Dr. Richard Bliese
President, Luther Seminary
The Orchard Adult Education Facilitator
(651) 641-3456

Reverend Meta Herrick Carlson
Associate Pastor, St. John’s Lutheran, Minneapolis, MN
Daughter of Normandale Congregation
(612) 827-4406

Rev. Christopher B. Enstad
Pastor of Faith Formation
Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Former Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults, Normandale Lutheran Church
952-210-9398 (c)

Dr. Craig Koester
Professor of New Testament Luther Seminary
The Orchard Adult Education Facilitator
(651) 641-3456

Senior Pastor Search     Preaching… Teaching… Reaching...