February 8 2022 Update
News from the Rector Search Committee:
Many thanks to those who answered the email survey last week. Your responses indicated the priorities you would like our new Rector to know. This information also allows the search committee to look for a candidate who has the qualities and abilities to carry these priorities forward. The top 5 responses are listed for your review.
64% Effectively engage the staff, ministry leaders, and volunteers to grow the church via the St. Luke's vision statement (our Vision Statement is available on our web page)
64% Revitalize our welcome approach for visitors/seekers to better serve and welcome those looking for a church home
57% Prioritize a culture shift to grow the parish as a true home for a family of faith. Being mindful to keep tradition alive while embracing new necessary changes.
55% Maintain and expand educational/fellowship groups such as Bible studies, Discovery class, Connection groups, BMOC and after-service coffee time on Sundays.
54% Utilize our physical campus buildings to host church and community events which bring non-parishioners to the campus and eventually services. Be a promoter of Saint Luke's Church at ecumenical community events.
This week’s prayer comes from the Women’s Bible Study:
God of patient and gentle strength, who knows our needs even before we ask, may your loving presence guide us as we seek our next Rector. Raise up for us, we humbly ask, a Rector who will boldly proclaim your Gospel and guide us in our Vision for the future with love and compassion. Amen
As always, we welcome your questions, comments and of course your prayer!
St. Luke’s Church strives to be a church that not only believes the gospel message of God’s saving grace but also a church that takes the message of the Gospel to the community and the world. Since he has arrived in September 1992 Greg Kronz has faithfully proclaimed the Gospel message in such a way. Within our parish, along with his outreach to other churches in our local community as well as national and international missions that we serve he has led us, by his guidance to fulfill the Great Commission. It is with profound gratitude for his outstanding service that we accepted his decision to retire in August 2022.
To search for a new Rector, the Vestry, in conjunction with the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, has developed a plan for the search and ultimately the call for a new Rector. We want all parishioners to be part of the plan, therefore, we are communicating the process to you for your information and use.
The Process
Before everything else we ask for your prayers!
Led by the Vestry, 12 of your fellow parishioners have been asked to serve on the Search Committee. These parishioners represent a cross section of skills; those with knowledge of Diocesan resources, those with knowledge of Anglican churches throughout the country, those with communication skills, those with technical skills and other professional backgrounds that will serve us well in this extensive search. Above all, these members are committed to following the Lord’s will through prayer and ask for your prayers along with them.
The First Step
A booklet style profile of our church will be created so that we can communicate clearly the following items:
who we are, our vision and our core values, what we believe, our history, and the primary characteristics of a new Rector that will lead us in faith. Each of these areas have multiple facets and are complex issues. We will rely on work that has already been completed in our strategic plan as well as meeting with many of you to gather input. A survey will be used as well as focus groups and/or individual or small group meetings to identify our current needs and desires. This document will be completed early in 2022.
The Second Step
With the assistance of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and The Anglican Diocese of North America, we will search widely for qualified candidates. Our search for candidates will be based on the needs and strengths we identify in our survey/self-study. We welcome your input here as well.
The Third Step
Through research, references and the use of the Diocesan Deployment Office, we pray that we will find at least three candidates that we will visit at their parish to see them in their current roles.
The Fourth and Final Step
The candidates that are the most well matched to our parish, will be invited to St. Luke’s church to be interviewed by the committee. After these visits, using prayer, insight, and experiences, the committee will meet to discern which candidate will be presented to the Vestry as our new Rector. As needed, the Diocese is accessible to guide us with this important decision. A final report will be presented to the Vestry who will then present the candidate to the Bishop. Upon his approval, the call will be made to the candidate and soon a public announcement of the election of our new Rector will be made.
You may submit a question or suggestion through the form below or use the regular church email or drop a note into the Sunday collection basket or at the office.
News from the Rector Search Committee:
Many thanks to those who answered the email survey last week. Your responses indicated the priorities you would like our new Rector to know. This information also allows the search committee to look for a candidate who has the qualities and abilities to carry these priorities forward. The top 5 responses are listed for your review.
64% Effectively engage the staff, ministry leaders, and volunteers to grow the church via the St. Luke's vision statement (our Vision Statement is available on our web page)
64% Revitalize our welcome approach for visitors/seekers to better serve and welcome those looking for a church home
57% Prioritize a culture shift to grow the parish as a true home for a family of faith. Being mindful to keep tradition alive while embracing new necessary changes.
55% Maintain and expand educational/fellowship groups such as Bible studies, Discovery class, Connection groups, BMOC and after-service coffee time on Sundays.
54% Utilize our physical campus buildings to host church and community events which bring non-parishioners to the campus and eventually services. Be a promoter of Saint Luke's Church at ecumenical community events.
This week’s prayer comes from the Women’s Bible Study:
God of patient and gentle strength, who knows our needs even before we ask, may your loving presence guide us as we seek our next Rector. Raise up for us, we humbly ask, a Rector who will boldly proclaim your Gospel and guide us in our Vision for the future with love and compassion. Amen
As always, we welcome your questions, comments and of course your prayer!
St. Luke’s Church strives to be a church that not only believes the gospel message of God’s saving grace but also a church that takes the message of the Gospel to the community and the world. Since he has arrived in September 1992 Greg Kronz has faithfully proclaimed the Gospel message in such a way. Within our parish, along with his outreach to other churches in our local community as well as national and international missions that we serve he has led us, by his guidance to fulfill the Great Commission. It is with profound gratitude for his outstanding service that we accepted his decision to retire in August 2022.
To search for a new Rector, the Vestry, in conjunction with the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, has developed a plan for the search and ultimately the call for a new Rector. We want all parishioners to be part of the plan, therefore, we are communicating the process to you for your information and use.
The Process
Before everything else we ask for your prayers!
Led by the Vestry, 12 of your fellow parishioners have been asked to serve on the Search Committee. These parishioners represent a cross section of skills; those with knowledge of Diocesan resources, those with knowledge of Anglican churches throughout the country, those with communication skills, those with technical skills and other professional backgrounds that will serve us well in this extensive search. Above all, these members are committed to following the Lord’s will through prayer and ask for your prayers along with them.
The First Step
A booklet style profile of our church will be created so that we can communicate clearly the following items:
who we are, our vision and our core values, what we believe, our history, and the primary characteristics of a new Rector that will lead us in faith. Each of these areas have multiple facets and are complex issues. We will rely on work that has already been completed in our strategic plan as well as meeting with many of you to gather input. A survey will be used as well as focus groups and/or individual or small group meetings to identify our current needs and desires. This document will be completed early in 2022.
The Second Step
With the assistance of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and The Anglican Diocese of North America, we will search widely for qualified candidates. Our search for candidates will be based on the needs and strengths we identify in our survey/self-study. We welcome your input here as well.
The Third Step
Through research, references and the use of the Diocesan Deployment Office, we pray that we will find at least three candidates that we will visit at their parish to see them in their current roles.
The Fourth and Final Step
The candidates that are the most well matched to our parish, will be invited to St. Luke’s church to be interviewed by the committee. After these visits, using prayer, insight, and experiences, the committee will meet to discern which candidate will be presented to the Vestry as our new Rector. As needed, the Diocese is accessible to guide us with this important decision. A final report will be presented to the Vestry who will then present the candidate to the Bishop. Upon his approval, the call will be made to the candidate and soon a public announcement of the election of our new Rector will be made.
You may submit a question or suggestion through the form below or use the regular church email or drop a note into the Sunday collection basket or at the office.
Search Committee
John Evans
Chair |
Norm Galloway
Vice-Chair |
Judy Pugatch
Communications |
Other Committee Members are Mike Blachshire, Nancy Henty, Beth Meeder, Sarah Partlow, Bill Peacher, Keith Tillman and Robyn Zimmerman
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Please pray for our church as we go through this process. Here is a suggested prayer adapted from the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty and ever living God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with us who take counsel in this search for a new Rector for the mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Adapted: BCP 2 Corinthians 3:2-6 New International Version You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. |