Pastor Nominating Committee Training

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Pastor Nominating Committee Training

• The Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse
• The Committee on Ministry

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Preparing For Our Ministry As A Pastor Nominating
Committee

• Introductions
• Name
• How long have you been associated with this
  congregation?
• How do you serve Jesus Christ in this
  congregation?
• Please share a story about a minister who made a
  significant impact on your life

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Welcome to the PresbyterianAlphabet Soup!

• PCUSA Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• PNC Pastor Nominating Committee
• COM Committee on Ministry
• CLC Church Leadership Connection
• CIF Church Information Form
• PIF Personal Information Form

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Searching for Candidates

• Submitting the CIF to the Church Leadership
  Connection
• Advertising in church publications?
• Word of mouth
• Self-Referrals
• Check them out with the Presbytery!
• Provide an Informational Packet on Church and
  Community

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Reviewing PIFs

• Email/Phone call to confirm availability
• Reading Teams?
• What do we look for?
• Checklist?
• Which ones should we consider?

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Preaching Gifts

• Visit to current church of service?
• Sermon tape/video

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The Telephone Interview

• Develop set of questions
• Skype? Speaker phone? Conference Call?
• Set up appointment
• One questioner or several?
• 45 minutes max
• Keep notes!

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Reference Checks

• Develop questions to ask
• Who calls?
• Take notes
• Secondary references?
• PRESBYTER TO PRESBYTER CHECK

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Face to Face Interview

• Invite candidate for visit, interview, and/or
  preaching at a neutral pulpit.
• Family?
• PNC pays all candidates expenses
• Family expenses?
• Meet with PNC
• Tour Church building and community
• Meet with COM representatives?
• Preaching at a neutral pulpit?

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Selecting the Final Candidate

• Consult with COM
• Make sure all reference checks have been
  completed
• Prepare Terms of Call to be offered to candidate
• Contact the candidate and invite him/her to
  candidate
• Negotiate Terms of Call

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The Congregational Meeting

• Session is asked to call a meeting of the
  Congregation
• Congregation receives packet of information about
  candidate
• Candidate (and family?) arrive on Friday
• Candidate given some free time on Saturday
• Informal reception at church (Saturday?)
• Candidate leads worship and preaches
• Congregational Meeting
• Vote

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Approval by Presbytery

• Candidate presents statement of faith and is
  interviewed by COM
• Candidates presbytery must dismiss
• Cayuga-Syracuse must approve call, terms of call,
  and transfer of candidate

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The Ministry Begins!

• Starting date
• Moving arrangements
• PNC dismissed with thanks!
• Celebration and prayer

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Some Final Thoughts

• Importance of Confidentiality
• Within PNC membership
• Everything surrounding the candidates
• Importance of Communication
• With Session
• With Congregation on a regular basis
• Bulletin Board
• Website
• Sunday Bulletin
• Sunday Minute for the PNC

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God Bless Your Special Ministry!