Starting this week, the Pastoral Search Team has begun to receive profiles from candidates that wish to be considered as your new minister.  Now more than ever, your Pastoral Search Team needs your prayers, your support and your comments.  In doing so, you are ensuring the Pastoral Search Team makes the best match possible.  Once they complete their task, it will be time for a real celebration!

Many people are still expressing the wish for me to stay as your called minister.  What this tells me is that I’m doing a good job.  I thank you for this compliment.  However, my calling remains the same – to go to churches which are experiencing trouble, lead them into change, help in their healing and assist them in finding a minister to lead them into a bright future.  I feel I am accomplishing this calling at Countryside and I know there is another church waiting for the same help I have given to you.  So for this reason, I will move on some day.

It will take the Pastoral Search Team some time to find just the right candidate.  Until then, we will continue in ministry together.  My prayer is as it always has been – for Countryside to go forward, to claim its rightful place as a church open and ready to serve all of God’s children.  As we work together, we can accomplish anything.