As you are aware, we’re in a season of hiring many new staff to assist us with our ministry at River Road Church. As I write this, we have four staff searches underway: adult education, children, pastoral care, and preschool director. It’s an exciting (or is it exhausting?) time when we are able to bring in fresh faces and new ideas to help us live into being the church God is calling us to be.
As we prepare to welcome new ministers to our family over the next few months, I’d like to ask you to do the following.
First, please be in prayer. Pray for the committees who are working carefully and prayerfully to identify the ministers who will be a good fit for our church. We are blessed with excellent lay leadership in our church, and I know they feel your support and prayers. Pray for the candidates themselves as we will have intense conversations about ministry, life, and family—this process isn’t easy on them either. And please pray for our church, that we will welcome our new ministers with open arms and willing spirits—just as you did so wonderfully for my family and me.
Then, please be prepared to offer grace and encouragement. New ministers will have a lot of names to learn and a new church to get used to. It will be overwhelming at first. I know you will be understanding and gracious, for settling in is a process, not a moment.
And last, please continue to give your best effort to our church. Since I came on board in November of 2016, I’ve been so uplifted by your strong weekly attendance, your generous giving to our church, and your commitment to being involved in missions and ministry. I can’t overstate how encouraging it is to new ministers to have active and involved church members willing to roll up their sleeves and serve.
Thank you for doing all this and more for me when I arrived almost two years ago (has it been that long?). You are a great church and I’m so excited to welcome new leaders to our family.
Exciting times ahead!
Written by Daniel Glaze
Originally published in the 2018 Fall Quarterly Explorer