Metropolitan Community Church of the Redwood Empire (MCCRE) Pastoral Candidate

Application Packet for

Packet Contains:

Introduction: A little about who we are and what we are looking for

Letter to Potential Candidate(s)

Mission Statement

Brief History of MCCRE

Application

At MCCRE you will experience a church that:

· is interested in the spiritual well being of each person and believes that we are privileged to participate in God’s mission of love and justice in the lives of all.

· loves music and has a great gospel choir under the direction of Dr. Cindy Acker.

· is interested in using its resources to make a difference in people's lives.

· values hospitality and loves having people come and visit. (we offer up a great meal every third Sunday).

· is in awe of the natural beauty created by our towering redwoods and the winding Russian River. A true sanctuary.

We look to embrace someone who:

· Loves God, Community, and Social Justice

· is able to devote 20 hours per week and is willing to live near our church (in the North Bay area).

· can deliver a powerful, thought provoking message

· will be dedicated to providing our church family with Pastoral Care that is strong, consistent, and compassionate.

· is open to people of diverse faith and/or cultural backgrounds

· loves music and appreciates the role that music plays in our worship service(s).

· is excited about the prospect of helping our church grow.

Dear Pastor,

We, the Pastoral Selection Committee, would like to thank you for considering MCCRE, as you follow God’s direction for your life and ministry. While you prayerfully consider pursuing the role of Pastor at MCCRE, know that your application will be received with appreciation and reviewed with thoughtfulness and respect.

It is with excitement, and admittedly a bit of trepidation that we at MCCRE open our doors and our hearts to the one individual who will be chosen to lead our congregation. We are a wonderfully unique group of people who love, respect, and value one another and we look forward to welcoming a new Pastor into our family.

A Pastor interested in joining our spiritual community must first and foremost have a deep an abiding love for God, and a strong commitment to share God’s love with others. We endeavor to find a Pastor who supports, and is willing to participate in our efforts to reach out to our community through service. As a body of believers who are passionate about advancing the cause of social justice we look for an individual who can share in that passion.

We have a great appreciation for sermons that are thought provoking and inspirational: sermons that challenge us to draw closer to God, that galvanize us into action, that strengthen our spirit, and instill in us a quiet assurance that God abides with and in us.

We believe that the hallmark of a Pastor who is empathetic and compassionate can be seen in the Pastoral Care they provide for their congregation. We seek someone who embodies these qualities and believes that Pastoral Care is an important aspect of their ministry. As such, we have the expectation that our Pastor have a willingness to live locally (in the North Bay area).

Though small in size, MCCRE is mighty in our efforts to positively impact the community in which we reside. Our goal is toward growth within our church, and within our various ministries. If you are an individual who is interested in helping us grow and sharing our vision, MCCRE would like to hear from you.

After prayerful consideration, you can contact us at:

or mail a letter of interest to the address below.

In Christ’s service,

Pastoral Search Committee

Metropolitan Community Church of the Redwood Empire

P.O. Box 1055

Guerneville, CA 95446

Mission Statement

As a Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgendered, and Straight community, our vision is to fulfill our call to bring justice and peace. To this end we seek to create a safe, welcoming atmosphere where we encourage each other to grow individually and communally. We seek to enlarge God's territory through inspiring, music-filled worship, and through our involvement and connection within the larger community. Our dream is to have our own space where we can provide and receive physical and spiritual nourishment.

History of MCCRE

MCCRE (then Russian River MCC) was founded in 1982, by the Rev. John Torres and his partner Tim Webb. The founding members originally met on the dance floor of Woods Resort. There may well be a connection between this place of origin, and the spirit of dance that still finds expression in the church.

John Torres served MCCRE twice as its pastor. In subsequent years Richard Timmerman, Rev. Linda Lastor, Jack Isobel, Rev. Betty Peterson, Rev. Joby Safier, Rev. Debbie Martin, Rev. Jim Mitulski, and most recently Rev. Elisabeth Middelberg took on its leadership role.

From the Woods Resort the church moved into the Guerneville Community church. At that point it also gained greater visibility within the Guerneville community. In May 1999 the church moved into the Odd Fellows Hall and changed its name from Russian River MCC to Metropolitan Community Church of the Redwood Empire.

The name change indicated a shift in thinking in wanting to reach people outside of just the Russian River. The next dream and work of the church is to move into a building of its own.

The Sunday services are at the heart of the life of the congregation. All are welcome to come and worship, sing, and experience the music and the hospitality of the community.

Thank you for your interest in MCCRE. We look forward to reviewing your completed application. The deadline for receiving applications is March 4, 2016. All applications will then be reviewed and several candidates will be selected for a phone interview.

Once we select our top candidates we will request that they complete a Due Diligence Application. This application will require more personal information and information that is needed to complete the necessary background checks.

The candidate(s) chosen to move forward in the selection process will be informed at this time as to any further requests that will be made by the selection committee.

Again, thank you for your interest in MCC of the Redwood Empire. Please send completed application to:

Trish Schneider at

(Also, please confer with your Mentor as to who else should receive a copy of this application, i.e. the OCLH Assistant Director who is promoting the actual search on behalf of MCCRE or to the Mentor.)

Sincerely,

Pastoral Search Committee

Application

1. Submit a Professional Resume and/or Curriculum Vitae

Include education, employment history, personal and professional references including contact information (at least 3 of each) and other information as you wish to share. Include a list of all MCC congregations you have been a member of or served in.

2. Submit a Worship Service

Include a bulletin or other pertinent information. The service should show you preaching and leading in worship. If the worship service is on a website you can give the link or send a DVD.

3. Personal Information

Name:

Present Address:

Home Phone: Cell Phone:

Email Address

Spiritual Gifts

1 ______

2 ______

3 ______

Do you have a spouse/partner? If so, what role if any does your spouse have in your ministry or in the church? Please describe.

Any Children? If so, list name(s) and ages.

Date of Availability:

I am a United States Citizen______

I am a Resident Alien legally authorized to work in US?______

Are you ordained by the MCC fellowship? If no, please explain.

4. Questions

(Based in part on the book, Pastoral Search Journey by John Vonhof)

Feel free to attach additional pages as needed.

a. Thoughts about ministry

The areas of ministry I find most challenging are:

The areas of ministry I find most satisfying are:

The areas in which I most need to grow are:

Why are you open to a new call at this time?

b. Describe your thoughts about leadership

My style of leadership is (please elaborate)

I hope my relationship to the board will be:

I hope my relationship to staff and ministry team leaders will be:

Developing and nurturing a vision means:

Involving others in lay ministry means:

I mentor others by:

I foster commitment and accountability by:

c. Describe your thoughts about administration

I think administration of the church’s business is:

The board and ministry teams assist in the church’s administration by:

d. Describe your thoughts about worship

The worship style I prefer is:

My preaching style is:

Lay participation in worship should include:

e. Describe your thoughts about education

Good children’s and youth ministry includes:

Good adult education includes:

f. Describe your thoughts about discipleship

I think good discipleship means:

Discipleship training and involvement includes:

g. Describe your thoughts about doing justice ministry

Doing good justice ministry means:

I think being involved in justice ministry is:

h. Describe your thoughts about fellowship

Good church fellowship is:

Caring for one another means:

Hospital/home visits:

i. Attach a brief statement of faith.

j. References –

Two MCC Clergy Phone # Email Church

Two MCC Laity

Two Optional References Phone # Email Type of Reference

Please feel free to add any information and/or comments that you would like to include.

We look forward to reviewing your application.

Abundant Blessings,

The MCCRE Pastoral Search Committee