Decisions with Discernment

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

                It has been five years since your last settled and installed pastor released you from your promises to her and moved away from you.  That all happened in the unsettled time of COVID.  The person who came to you as an Interim Pastor had very difficult waters to navigate in those uncertain years, complicated with his own medical diagnosis.  In April 2021, I was invited to return and serve as your Intentional Interim Pastor.  I knew you and you knew me because I had been your Interim Pastor from 2012-2014.  It was like a homecoming and together we have strengthened the life and ministry of Greenbelt Community Church.

                Now we have reached that time when the Search Committee will be presenting a potential settled pastor to you.  They have diligently done the work of Search and Call with dedication and grace.  They have been told “no” and “maybe” and now “yes”.  We thank the members of the committee for their work.

                Now it will be the decisions of you, the congregational members of Greenbelt Community Church.  You will be receiving information about the proposed candidate.  You will be notified of the dates where you will have opportunities to meet this person and to ask your questions.  Hopefully you will be spending some serious prayer time discerning what is the best outcome for Greenbelt Community Church.  Although the process has lasted for a significant amount of time, that is not your problem.  Your problem is to decide if YOU feel the candidate that will be presented is the right match for GCC.  By your vote you are pledging to work with your new pastor so that together GCC can continue to grow and be the church needed in this community.

                From Paul’s letter to the Philippians: ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Rev. Clara