GRACE NOTES. November Report of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC)

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1 November 2014 GRACE NOTES Report of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) At our meeting on Tuesday, November 28 th the PNC narrowed our search for a prospective minister to a pool of five. Since we are approaching a final decision, I thought this would be an opportune time to pause and review the Presbyterian process of selecting a minister, outlining what has been done and what is left to be done. Last May W.T. Chesnut came before the congregation and presented the Nominating Committee s proposed slate of six members to serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee. You, as a congregation, voted to empower these individuals to search for and nominate a pastor. Once the PNC was elected, the other members of the congregation and the session have no role in determining who will be the next pastor until the PNC is ready to present their nominee to the congregation for a vote. At our first meeting on May 28 the six members of the PNC elected by the congregation, Jerry Butler, Jay Collins, Pauline Kirk, Karen Russ, Stephen Weaver, and I, plus Janis Bomar, who was appointed by the Presbytery and served as our liaison with the Committee on Ministry, met and began the process of selecting the nominee to present to be the next pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church. We have worked prayerfully and diligently on the many stages of the process. Stage One: Writing and submitting the Ministry Information Form. As you remember this is the lengthy document which both describes our church and the expectations we have for the position of minister. This stage has been completed. Stage Two: Reading and Screening Personal Information Forms (PIFs). As you remember a PIF is the lengthy document which describes the qualifications and expectations of the prospective minister. Each member of the PNC read each PIF. We read more than 50 PIFs and narrowed the pool down to less than 20 prospective ministers. Stage Three: Viewing sermons and checking references. As a group we viewed at least one sermon from each candidate. We divided the reference calls between the members of the committee and shared the results at the next meeting. In this stage we narrowed the pool down to less than 10 prospective ministers. We requested and received presbytery to presbytery references checks by The Executive Presbyter, Steve Benz.

2 Stage Four: Interviewing over internet video such as Skype or FaceTime. We conducted Skype interviews with two candidates on Tuesday, October 28 th and will continue with more interviews at our next meeting on Tuesday, November 4 th. Stage Five: On-Site Interviews with Finalists. We will invite prospective pastors to come to Gainesville for an approximately three-day visit in which they will become acquainted with our physical plant and the Gainesville community, preach in a neutral pulpit selected by Presbytery, and participate in a formal interview. Stage Six: Choosing the Nominee, Extending the Invitation, and Negotiating the Terms of Call. All of these steps are conducted by the PNC, though concerning the salary package we do have minimum and maximum guidelines from the Session. Stage Seven: Making the Journey from Nomination to Installation: First, the candidate must be approved by the Examinations Commission of the Presbytery before the congregational meeting can be held to issue the call. Second, the session needs to call a congregational meeting to vote on the call. Third, after the congregational meeting is completed and the Examinations Commission of the presbytery has approved, our new pastor may begin ministry in our midst. Fourth, the minister will be enrolled as an active member of the Presbytery of St. Augustine. Sixth, the minister will be ordained and/or installed. These services are acts of the presbytery, and so are performed by a commission created by the presbytery to represent it. The upshot of this Presbyterian process is that you will vote on your next minister having neither seen nor heard that person. You have invested a great deal of responsibility and trust in the members of the PNC. You can see why we strongly need your prayers as we try to discern the working of the Holy Spirit. We are humbled by this responsibility. Please pray that we will be open to the work of the Holy Spirit which will strengthen us and guide us. If you have any questions at all about the Presbyterian process of issuing a call for a new pastor, please ask me directly. Dorothy Nevill, Moderator Grace Pastor Nominating Committee nevill@ufl.edu (home) (cell) 2

3 November Birthdays November Anniversaries Nov 5 Mike & Barbara Nunnery Nov 15 Vernon & Ruth Mize Nov 20 Mohan & Laura Raizada Nov 2 Violet Osteen Nov 6 Steve Varvel Nov 10 Pauline Lawrence Nov 12 Jacqueline Collins Nov 13 Cile Pfahler Nov 15 Steve Strauser Nov 16 Bill Preston Nov 17 Gale Nevill Nov 24 Joseph Bayer Nov 25 Cyle Chewning Nov 30 Robert McAlpine Please call the church office, , if your special day is NOT listed. It has come to our attention that there is a new rash of scam phone calls. We all need to be very wary of people we don t know that call asking us to do things or for money. Every year, thousands of people lose money to telephone scams from a few dollars to their life savings. Scammers will say anything to cheat people out of money. Some seem very friendly calling you by your first name, making small talk, and asking about your family. They may claim to work for a company you trust, or they may send mail or place ads to convince you to call them. Sometimes they call to try and get into your computer. No reputable company will call and tell you there is something wrong with your computer and ask you to turn it on or give them access to your computer. Even if they say they are from Windows or Microsoft never give someone that calls you access to your computer. If you get calls asking for money hang up and call the authorities. For non-emergencies you can call the Gainesville Police at (352) A few online resources for information: n/fraud.aspx 3

4 WORSHIP COMMITTEE We are getting into the Christmas Season. Some dates to watch for: Hanging of the Greens/ Decorating- 11/29 at 10am. All are welcome to help. Chrismons - 12/7 Cantata - 12/14 - Pastor Shirley Mergan will be our guest minister No children's program, but the kids will be a part of the cantata Christmas Eve service w/ communion. Lessons & Carols. Pastor Shirley Mergan will be our guest minister Mission Committee Collections for Thanksgiving Baskets are underway. We are aiming for 20 this year. Volunteers are needed to pack up on November 23. Baskets will be delivered to Acorn Clinic on Monday, November 24. Monetary contributions will gladly be received to purchase gift cards for turkeys. BLOOD DRIVE at Parkview on November 30. Sign up sheet in the Narthex. Christian Education Deposits for the Ski Trip are due by 11/20 t0 Lisa Weaver 4

5 FROM THE TREASURER The finance committee would like to keep the congregation informed as to our General Fund income and expenses and our pass through donations: October Year to Date Income $15, $ Expenses $ 9, $130, Pass through donations: Two Cents a Meal $59.04 $ Good Samaritan $ $1, If you have any questions about our budget, please contact Lois Semer, treasurer, at Elders on Call for November Diane Millican (352) April Riley (352) Elders on Call for December Julie Woodward (352) Lisa Weaver (352) Please contact Session members if you have any questions. W.T. Chesnut, Lois Semer, Jonathan Tuma Julie Woodward, Debbie Harris, Clint Collins Diane Millican, April Riley, Lisa Weaver 5

6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Choir Rehersal Mens Lunch Noon Worship 11AM Communion Women's Circle 10am Mens Lunch Noon Session 6:30PM Mens Lunch Noon Grace Notes Articles Due November Decorating- 11/29 at 10am Mens Lunch Thanksgiving Hanging Noon of the Greens/ 30

7 NOVEMBER 2014 Grace Presbyterian Church 3146 NW 13th St. Gainesville, FL Address Service Requested Phone: Fax: Liturgy Passages for November 11/2 Twenty first Sunday after Pentecost Joshua 3:7 17 Micah 3:5 12 Psalm 107:1 7, Psalm 43 1 Thessalonians 2: Thessalonians 2:9 13 Matthew 23:1 12 Matthew 23: /9 Twenty second Sunday after Pentecost Joshua 24:1 3a, Wisdom of Solomon 6:12 16 Psalm 78:1 7 Wisdom of Solomon 6: Thessalonians 4: Thessalonians 4:13 18 Matthew 25:1 13 Matthew 25: /16 Twenty third Sunday after Pentecost Judges 4:1 7 Zephaniah 1:7, Psalm 123 Psalm 90:1 8 [9 11] 12 1 Thessalonians 5: Thessalonians 5:1 11 Matthew 25:14 30 Matthew 25: /23 Reign of Christ / Christ the King Ezekiel 34:11 16, Psalm 100 or Psalm 95:1 7a Ephesians 1:15 23 Matthew 25: /30 First Sunday of Advent Isaiah 64:1 9 Psalm 80:1 7, Corinthians 1:3 9 Mark 13: