Senior Pastor Transition

Search Team Update….

It has been a few weeks since we updated you on the status of Pastor David Monreal’s plans for beginning his ministry as our Sr. Pastor at Faith EFC. Pastor Dave has been working with his church, Cornerstone Christian Church (C&MA), El Cajon, California and associated denomination, Christian & Missionary Alliance to complete his ministry there. He has also been busy planning for the many logistics for moving he and his family from the San Diego, California area to Grand Forks.

Pastor Dave’s current plans are to arrive in Grand Forks on Monday, November 3, 2008 and begin his ministry at Faith EFC soon after that.

One way to encourage Pastor Dave, Jennifer, Grace and Alexander is to pray for them during this time of transition. Some specific prayer items are:

Praise to God for the future direction of Cornerstone Christian Church and the church’s gracious support for Pastor Dave and him family.
That Pastor Dave’s home could be sold soon, especially in the difficult real estate market in San Diego.
For safety and good travel for from San Diego when they travel to Grand Forks.
For a smooth adjustment for them into our community and fellowship?

We are excited about the beginning of Pastor Dave’s ministry at Faith EFC, and thankful for the direction God has provided for us.

Luther Kvernen and Chuck Schuler
Elder Co-Chairmen

Search Team Update….

The entire candidating weekend of Aug. 16-19, 2008, with Pastor Dave Monreal was very encouraging. We enjoyed the opportunities to introduce Pastor Dave and his family to the FEFC family and to the Grand Forks area.

At the Quarterly Business meeting on Wed., Aug. 20, 2008, the Search Team and Elder Board both presented unanimous recommendations to call Pastor Dave as our next Sr. Pastor. The membership responded with a very strong message of support with a 96% vote in favor of the Search Team and Elder Board recommendations. Later on that evening the Search Team contacted Pastor Dave by telephone and he accepted the call to come and minister at Faith EFC.

The final details of when Pastor Dave will begin his ministry at Faith EFC have not been worked out. However we anticipate their move from San Diego to Grand Forks to occur within the next few weeks/months.

One of the most encouraging aspects of the recent candidating weekend and our Quarterly Business Meeting was the sincere interest and active participation by the entire FEFC family. Your prayers for wisdom, discernment, perseverance, unity and many other concerns have been answered and we all rejoice together for God's leading and provision.

Let's continue to pray for these same concerns as we move ahead on this journey of faith. Specifically please pray for Pastor Dave and his family as they consider what to do with the home they own in San Diego; the family, church family and friends they will be moving from and other aspects of the transition they will be experiencing.

It has been a great privilege and honor to serve on the Search Team. We have been blessed by your prayers and seeing God open and close doors of opportunity throughout this process. May God be praised for His bountiful grace, mercy and love!

FEFC Search Team

Search Team Update….

We had a great weekend with Pastor David and Jennifer Monreal, along with their children Grace and Alexander. They will be returning to their home in San Diego, California, on Wednesday morning, August 20, 2008.

We were very encouraged with the number of our FEFC church family who made it a priority to come and meet Pastor David and Jennifer; whether that was at the Prime Time gathering on Saturday night, the Sunday morning worship service, the Sunday evening Question & Answer Session, and/or the Monday evening discussion with the Deacon/Deaconess, PST, Elders and Search Team. Thank you for your interest, support and prayers as we have all been working through this search process.

The next major step in the search process will take place at our Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Quarterly Business Meeting. At this meeting the Search Team and Elder Board will both be making their recommendations to the FEFC membership regarding the issue of extending a call to ministry at FEFC for Pastor David.

In addition, please remember the Sunday evening, August 24, 2008 Corporate Prayer meeting at 7:00 PM at the church. It is very important that we keep praying for God's wisdom throughout the search process and for the ministry of FEFC as a whole. A number of new ministries will be starting up again after Labor Day, and it would be very encouraging to have a good number of people gathering together to pray for these items.

FEFC Search Team

Search Team Update….

We are very pleased to introduce David Monreal as a candidate for the Sr. Pastor position at Faith EFC. David and his family will be in Grand Forks from Saturday, August 16 through Tuesday, August 19, 2008 and will be preaching at our Sunday, August 17, 2008, worship service. David is the youngest of eight children, was born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at age 15.

David received his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, and a minor in Pastoral Ministries from Toccoa Fall College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia, in 1983. He later earned his Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, in 1999. He has served in a variety of church-related ministries including Assistant Pastor, Associate Pastor for Youth and Sr. Pastor. David is currently serving as Sr. Pastor at Cornerstone Christian Church (Christian and Missionary Alliance) in El Cajon, California, near downtown San Diego.

David and his wife, Jennifer, were married in June 2004, and have two children - - Grace who will be three years old in September, and Alexander who had his first birthday in July.

David describes his philosophy of ministry as, “I believe that a pastor is a shepherd of God’s people. My first priority is to be the person God has called me to be in my character and conversation. As the Puritans have said, ‘the greatest thing I can give God’s people is my personal holiness.’ The responsibility of a pastor begins with the preaching and teaching of God’s inerrant Word. People will grow as the Holy Spirit impresses upon their hearts and minds the truth of His Word and His call upon their lives. This occurs through preaching, teaching and practical application of truth.”

FEFC Search Team

Search Team Update….

During the next two weeks we will be providing you with background information about our new pastor candidate in preparation for the August 16

- 19, 2008 candidating weekend in Grand Forks. We will be sharing this information in the upcoming Sunday morning worship services, in the Faith Facts and posting it on the Faith web site @ www.faithfree.com.

Although a significant amount of focus and energy has been centered on bringing a candidate for the new pastor position, there are a number of other exciting things that are happening within the ministry at Faith EFC.

Sunday morning ministries are being led by Pastors Scott Connolly and Pat Severson who are sharing the teaching time on Sunday mornings, Amanda Presteng who leads our worship time and Tina Opdahl who coordinates the children's Christian Education ministry. In addition there are many others who have taken on additional responsibilities, not only on Sunday morning, but throughout the week.

Our staff continues to change and adapt to fill various needs during this transitional period. Recently Joe Hogberg, who had been serving in an internship capacity with our student ministry, resigned as he and his family relocated to Newfolden, MN. We certainly miss the Hogberg family and Joe's leadership, but we are also so thankful that God has faithfully provided someone to continue to help provide additional leadership with our student ministry. Jason Heydt has agreed to be our Interim Student Ministries Director over the next year starting August 1st. He will be working approximately 10-20 hours a week, and he will be working with Pastor Pat to provide significant leadership with various student activities and programs. We are so thankful that God continues to use people within our congregation to carry on the ministry of FEFC!”

Luther Kvernen

Co-Chairman, Elder Board

Search Team Update….

Excitement is building among us as the candidating weekend of August 16-19 approaches. Last Tuesday, the Search Committee contacted our candidate and explored at length the way his leadership style would integrate with the present church leadership, if he were called to be our senior pastor. We were extremely encouraged by his flexibility and willingness to serve, as well as his desire to do what is best for our church family. Additional references from the candidate’s current congregation have been identified, so we will contact these individuals this week. We are eager to introduce our candidate to all of you and anticipate being able to do so very soon.

Prayer requests:

That God will direct whatever leadership emerges at Faith EFC
For additional insight from interviews with references
That God’s direction would be clearly felt by all
For planning to go smoothly in regards to the candidating weekend August 16-19

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Search Team Update….

The primary purposes for the upcoming August 16 – 19, 2008, planned candidating weekend are to provide opportunities for the family of Faith EFC to meet and interact with the candidate, for the Search Team and Elders to complete the final stages of the interview process and last, but not least, for the candidate and his family to further relate to the ministry and people at Faith EFC.

In the meantime there are a number of important steps that are being taken in preparation for the candidating weekend:

The Search Team will be completing telephone interviews with individuals who have been involved in recent ministry opportunities with the candidate.
The Elders, Pastor Staff Team (PST) and Search Team will be further exploring potential leadership models with the candidate in order to best meet the ministry needs at Faith EFC.
People Management will be completing their SIMA (System for Indentifying Motivated Abilities) process with the candidate. The purpose of SIMA is the identification of an individual’s strengths and vocationally significant motivations, which will further assist the candidate and Faith EFC in getting to know and understand each other.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Some of the specific prayer requests are:

Thanking God for His patient direction and unity of spirit.
For our candidate and his family as they prepare for their visit at Faith EFC.
For the Search Team, Elders, PST and candidate as we discuss the possible leadership opportunities to best meet the ministry needs at Faith EFC.

Scripture:

May we all join in Paul’s prayer to the Philippians (1:3–6):

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of the, that he who began a good work in you will carry it onto the completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Search Team Update….

We have some exciting news to share regarding the search for our new Sr. Pastor! The news is that a tentative candidating weekend has been set for August 16-19, 2008. The reason it is still tentative is that we need to plan far enough in advance to work out the scheduling and logistics for the weekend. In addition, we are in the process of completing some of the necessary interview steps prior to that time.

During the next few weeks, we’ll use these articles to introduce you to the candidate and his family. The preliminary plans for the candidating weekend are to have him preach at the Sunday, August 17th morning worship service and then have an open Question and Answer session on Sunday evening. In addition, there will be other times and events scheduled so that we can get to know the candidate and his family, and they can get to know us as a congregation.

Thank you for your continued prayers, and please continue to pray for:

The candidate and his family during this time of decision making.
The Search Team, Elders, PST and People Management as we continue the review process prior to the candidating weekend.
Unity and open communication for the entire Faith EFC family as we continue to seek God's wisdom and direction.

Scripture:

Phillippians 1:9-11: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of God.

Search Team Update….

On June 24, the Search Committee and Elder Board conducted an extensive telephone interview with the candidate, posing questions relating primarily to theology. Afterwards, a decision was made by the Search Committee and Elder Board to continue the process with this candidate. This week, the Search Committee discussed results of conversations with the candidate’s initial references. Additional references will be sought, including members from the candidate’s present congregation. Pray for discernment regarding this candidate and for opportunities to interact with his present congregation and family. Pray for the candidate and his family as he communicates his intentions with his present congregation. Please pray that as a Search Committee, we would not grow discouraged, and that when circumstances arise, we react graciously and with wisdom.

Scripture:

I Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Search Team Update….

On Tuesday evening, June 24 the elder board, search team and PST
conducted a significant telephone interview with a potential candidate in order to further discuss doctrinal and theological issues. If we continue to remain in agreement with the potential candidate, we will take the next steps of checking references and scheduling a tentative date for a candidating weekend in Grand Forks. In addition People Management will communicate more with the potential candidate to further understand if there is a good match between FEFC and himself.

If all these steps continue to be positive, some members of the Search Team will visit the potential candidate and his church before a candidating weekend is finalized. Many things still need to come together and we move forward trusting God to lead us through the steps to come.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for wisdom for the elder board, search team, PST, and the candidate to be able to discern if there is alignment during the phone interview on Tuesday.
Pray for the candidate and his wife to have wisdom and discern God’s will as they consider a move to this area and for them to be fully convinced about a call to FEFC.
Pray for wisdom and discernment for the search team in this process.

Scripture:

I Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Search Team Update….

Fear! Do we/I ever deal with fear? What is it? Where does it come from? Why do I feel it? Is it real? When do I feel it? These are some of the questions I have been wrestling with this past week as we move through the process of finding a new Sr. Pastor. I wonder if I am relying on our own plan and process, rather than God’s direction and guidance. I wonder what people are thinking; will they approve a candidate if and when he comes to FEFC to preach and be interviewed? Many of these fears are rooted in my own insecurity, as a man trying to do things on my own, rather than trusting God for His plan and direction.

So for me, the opposite of fear is trusting. Not trusting in the process, not trusting in what I do or what others do, but trusting God. It has been comforting to go to His Word for the real source of truth, which can address my fears and insecurities:

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

I Peter 5:7 “ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

I pray that I will trust in God, rather than be fearful of what I don’t fully understand. Thank you for your continued prayers as we seek His direction for our church and the pastor He will be sending us.

Luther Kvernen

Search Team Update….

Last Monday and Tuesday, June 2-3, 2008 was a significant day for the Search Team, as we had the privilege of meeting, in person, a potential candidate for the Sr. Pastor position. The potential candidate and his family came to Grand Forks late Sunday evening, June 1st and left again on Tuesday afternoon, June 3rd.

On Monday the potential candidate met with Pastor Vic in the morning and had lunch and met with Pastor Scott, Pastor Pat and Scott Hulst in the afternoon. He then had a supper meeting with the Search Team and finished the day with a meeting with the Elder Board. On Tuesday Tammy Dunford provided their family with a tour of Grand Forks, and the Search Team had the opportunity meet the entire family.

During the next few days the Search Team will be meeting with the Elder Board and seeking God’s direction for what the next steps will be. We were very encouraged by our visit with this potential candidate and are looking forward to what God has planned. Let’s keep praying for His wisdom and direction. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.

From the Search Committee . . .

At the quarterly business meeting, members reminded us how God is faithful, how He is in control of the searching for a pastor, and that He already knows who our new Senior Pastor will be. How reassuring those truths are!

As this is being written, the Search Team, elders and staff are meeting (Monday and Tuesday) with one candidate for onsite interviews. Although he has been interviewed twice over the phone, we are all looking forward to meeting the candidate and his family face to face. We have prayed that our questions and other interactions will result in deeper insights as to whether this individual and his family would be God’s choice and a good fit for FEFC. A sincere “thank you” goes to everyone who made the onsite process possible, i.e., travel and other arrangements, transportation between places and appointments, and those who opened their homes during these days.”

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

From the Search Committee . . .

Although it was a quiet week for Search Committee activity, Sunday’s commissioning of Pastor Vic to a new role, i.e. one different from that of Senior Pastor, created a keen awareness for finding the right fit from among the candidates for Senior Pastor. After two in-depth telephone interviews with several candidates, plans are underway to receive one candidate for on-site interviews on June 2 and 3. We will use that time to allow him and his wife to become more acquainted with ourselves and our community, and it will be necessary to ask more in-depth questions of him as well. Pray that these interactions will be fruitful and helpful for decision-making. God is faithful; may we seek His will as we carry on this work.

Please pray for the Search Team, staff and elders as these three groups will be meeting with the candidate.

Hebrews 10:22-25:

Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Senior Pastor Transition Update: from the Search Committee

Members of the Search Committee are often asked about the process we are going through to select a Senior Pastor candidate. At May 4th’s church service, Luther Kvernen laid out that process for us at the Sunday morning service and in Faith Facts.

I’d like to share my perspective of what it’s like being on the Search Committee.

We generally meet at least once every week. We began meeting December 12, last year, with our meetings lasting from 1 ½ hours to over 3 hours, depending on our agenda. Our meetings are pretty serious in nature, with everyone feeling the weight of our responsibility. We spend time in prayer each week, seeking God’s wisdom, direction, will, and humbling ourselves before Him.

These last 2 months have been busy with reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates by phone conference, evaluating their responses and deciding and scheduling follow-up phone conferences and on-sight visits. The decisions whether or not to continue the process with a candidate are made after prayer, group discussion, self-reflection, and a vote. All of our candidates have been good men whose love for the Lord and heart for the ministry has been clearly evident, which makes the culling process difficult. We have also experienced disappointment when 2 highly regarded candidates we were actively pursuing withdrew their names from consideration. Notwithstanding, our task remains the same and our dedication to fulfilling that task remains undaunted.

We sincerely covet your prayers for us and the church as we seek to know God’s choice for our next Senior Pastor.

Lowell Nelson

FEFC Sr. Pastor Search Team

We have been encouraged by the progress that God has provided in the process for the search of our Sr. Pastor position. Thank you for your prayers, patience and interest as we work through the steps of seeking God’s direction for this man. The following chart summarizes steps and current status of the process.

*Search Process Steps*	*Who at FEFC is* *Involved in This Step?*	*Status (as of May 4, 2008)*
Receive written resumes and answers to general questions.	Search Team	Complete
Telephone interview #1	Search Team	Complete
Telephone interview #2	Search Team	Complete by May 7, 2008
Personal interview in Grand Forks (possibly 2-3 candidates, 1 at a time)	Search Team, Elder Board, Pastors/Staff	Scheduled between May 12 - June 3, 2008
One (1) candidate will come to FEFC for a weekend to preach and interact with the congregation.	FEFC family, including Search Team, Elder Board, Pastors/Staff	Possibly sometime after June 15 , 2008
Elder Board submits one (1) Sr. Pastor Candidate to the FEFC membership for approval.	FEFC membership and Elder Board	Likely within 7-10 days after the candidating weekend.

Transition news from Pastor Vic: As we think of our role as church members in selecting a new pastor, I would like to remind each of us of some things to keep in mind.

First, the new pastor will be different form the last one. I know we know this but the reality is that sometimes we may be looking for someone just like (or possibly very different from whom) we have had. God doesn’t make snowflakes, fingerprints or pastors just alike. Accept the fact that he will be different form your current pastor.

Second, god is more concerned with what is on the inside than the outside of a man. “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Sam. 16:7b) Though we cannot see a man’s heart as God can, we should be careful not to judge a man purely from outside appearance. When you are given opportunity to meet the candidate, the things like his kindness, gentleness, patience, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit which comes from his heart, will begin to be seen.

Third, remember the resume, the degrees after his name, his accomplishments, while all important, are not as important as character. Look for a man whose character reflects that of I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. After all, character is what will qualify him in God’s eyes.

Fourth, God is calling a Pastor. Biblically, a pastor is a ‘shepherd’ who feeds and cares for the sheep, and who goes before them leading them, not driving them. Does he have a pastor’s heart? Can he feed the flock from the Word? Does he have a vision of where God is leading him and the church?

Fifth, no pastor can do the work of the ministry without the support of his wife and family. Is she supportive of his call and ministry? Are his children under control? (Titus 1:6, I Tim. 3:4)

Finally, does his philosophy of ministry match the church and the present staff? Is this a good marriage with similar values and goals? Pray and be mindful of these things, and God will confirm His choice of our new Sr. Pastor as we pray and trust God’s leading.