“We Are Called. Calling a Pastor Begins with God’s Call to You!”
Preparing for February 23 & March 2: Leadership Needs
On those two Sundays after church we will ask for your input again involving stickers on posters in the fellowship hall. This time it is about our leadership needs:
1. From the following list of 40 tasks you are asked (after church in the Fellowship Hall) to choose the top five ministry tasks required in the position.
Administration
Building a Sense of Community
Campus / Young Adult Ministry
Chaplaincy
Children's Ministry
Christian Education
Communications/ Media
Community Organizing
Conflict Management
Counseling/ Social Work
Early Childhood Administration
Ecumenical Work
Evangelism/ Mission
Financial Management
Global Service
Innovation / Creativity
Interim Ministry
Interpret Theology
Inter-personal Climate
Ministry in Crisis
Ministry in Daily Life
Ministry with Seniors
Multicultural Ministry
Music / Worship / Arts
Outdoor/ Camping Ministry
Parish Nurse / Health
Participant in the Larger Church
Pastoral Care and Visitation
Preaching / Worship
Public Policy / Advocacy
Recruit and Equip Leaders
Self Care / Family Life
Small Group Ministry
Social Ministry
Spiritual Formation / Direction
Stewardship
Strategic Mission Planning
Teaching
Volunteer Coordination
Youth and Family Ministry
1. From the following list of 40 tasks you are asked (after church in the Fellowship Hall) to choose the top five ministry tasks required in the position.
Administration
Building a Sense of Community
Campus / Young Adult Ministry
Chaplaincy
Children's Ministry
Christian Education
Communications/ Media
Community Organizing
Conflict Management
Counseling/ Social Work
Early Childhood Administration
Ecumenical Work
Evangelism/ Mission
Financial Management
Global Service
Innovation / Creativity
Interim Ministry
Interpret Theology
Inter-personal Climate
Ministry in Crisis
Ministry in Daily Life
Ministry with Seniors
Multicultural Ministry
Music / Worship / Arts
Outdoor/ Camping Ministry
Parish Nurse / Health
Participant in the Larger Church
Pastoral Care and Visitation
Preaching / Worship
Public Policy / Advocacy
Recruit and Equip Leaders
Self Care / Family Life
Small Group Ministry
Social Ministry
Spiritual Formation / Direction
Stewardship
Strategic Mission Planning
Teaching
Volunteer Coordination
Youth and Family Ministry
2. From the list of 25 gifts/skills you are asked (after church in the Fellowship Hall) to choose the five “top priority” gifts and five “very helpful” gifts.
Help people develop their spiritual life.
Help people understand and act upon issues of social justice.
Provide care and nurture.
Be active in visitation of members and non-members.
Be effective in working with children.
Build a sense of community among the people with whom they work.
Help others develop their leadership abilities and skills for ministry.
Be an effective administrator.
Be an effective communicator.
Be an effective teacher.
Encourage support of the Church's wider mission.
Work regularly in the development of stewardship growth.
Be active in ecumenical relationships.
Be effective in working with youth.
Organize people for community action.
Be skilled in planning and leading programs.
Have a strong commitment and loyalty to the ELCA.
Understand & interpret the mission of the Church from a global perspective.
Deal effectively with conflict.
Bring joy and good humor to relationships.
Be able to share leadership and work in a team.
Be creative and innovative about their tasks.
Be able to use technology and media.
Appreciate cultural diversity in language and customs.
Have talents in the areas of music, arts and writing.
Help people develop their spiritual life.
Help people understand and act upon issues of social justice.
Provide care and nurture.
Be active in visitation of members and non-members.
Be effective in working with children.
Build a sense of community among the people with whom they work.
Help others develop their leadership abilities and skills for ministry.
Be an effective administrator.
Be an effective communicator.
Be an effective teacher.
Encourage support of the Church's wider mission.
Work regularly in the development of stewardship growth.
Be active in ecumenical relationships.
Be effective in working with youth.
Organize people for community action.
Be skilled in planning and leading programs.
Have a strong commitment and loyalty to the ELCA.
Understand & interpret the mission of the Church from a global perspective.
Deal effectively with conflict.
Bring joy and good humor to relationships.
Be able to share leadership and work in a team.
Be creative and innovative about their tasks.
Be able to use technology and media.
Appreciate cultural diversity in language and customs.
Have talents in the areas of music, arts and writing.
3. Finally, we need you to answer two questions (on sticky notes provided in the Fellowship Hall) about mutual expectations with a new pastor:
- What are the five primary areas of activity or focus that you wish our new pastor give special attention to during their first year of their ministry.
- What are the five ways that we as a congregation will support and encourage the new pastor to help them accomplish these responsibilities.
Please plan to spend a few minutes after church in the Fellowship Hall on February 23 or March 2 responding to the questions. We need everyone's input to best reflect our congregation. Thank you!
If you are unable to be at church on either of those Sundays, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will find an alternate way for you to participate.
Update: February 12, 2025
The transition team meets twice a month to work through the transition process. We are tasked with filling out and submitting a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that will help us match with candidates for a new pastor. Once this task is complete, the call process will begin.
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who hosted and attended a house meeting over the last few weeks. Altogether we had 47 people participate! All of us in the transition team are so grateful to have had the opportunity to connect with you.
We were struck by the common themes that emerged from these meetings – the love for the FILC community, the uniqueness of our Swedish immigrant heritage, and the opportunities for cross-generational connection that have always been a part of our life together. We heard many stories that illustrate the place of FILC in our lives.
Our next step is to take everything that was shared in these meetings and put them into the Ministry Site Profile. Thank you to everyone for sharing these stories and allowing us to incorporate them into this process.
In the meantime, we have one (last!) opportunity for you to give your input during this transition process. This one will ask what we are looking for in a new pastor (called "Gifts for Ministry" and "Top 5 Ministry Tasks"). It will be another "sticker activity" in the Fellowship Hall, held after church February 23 and March 2.
The Transition Team would love to talk with you about this process. Come find us during coffee hour or email [email protected] with questions.
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who hosted and attended a house meeting over the last few weeks. Altogether we had 47 people participate! All of us in the transition team are so grateful to have had the opportunity to connect with you.
We were struck by the common themes that emerged from these meetings – the love for the FILC community, the uniqueness of our Swedish immigrant heritage, and the opportunities for cross-generational connection that have always been a part of our life together. We heard many stories that illustrate the place of FILC in our lives.
Our next step is to take everything that was shared in these meetings and put them into the Ministry Site Profile. Thank you to everyone for sharing these stories and allowing us to incorporate them into this process.
In the meantime, we have one (last!) opportunity for you to give your input during this transition process. This one will ask what we are looking for in a new pastor (called "Gifts for Ministry" and "Top 5 Ministry Tasks"). It will be another "sticker activity" in the Fellowship Hall, held after church February 23 and March 2.
The Transition Team would love to talk with you about this process. Come find us during coffee hour or email [email protected] with questions.
Update: February 5, 2025
The House Meetings have been going well, full of engaging and honest discussion about "who we are as a congregation today." There are still a few spots open for this Friday morning at Marilyn Ball's home (near church). Click here to sign up for Friday, February 7 at 10:30 am at Marilyn's.
As we've discussed, getting clarity about "who we are" through these House Meeting conversations is necessary so that we can then discern what skills we need in a new pastor. All this information gets us closer to calling a new pastor and beginning our congregation’s next chapter.
These are the questions we are exploring at each House Meeting:
As we've discussed, getting clarity about "who we are" through these House Meeting conversations is necessary so that we can then discern what skills we need in a new pastor. All this information gets us closer to calling a new pastor and beginning our congregation’s next chapter.
These are the questions we are exploring at each House Meeting:
- What is First Immanuel Lutheran Church’s reason for being?
- What gifts and resources does First Immanuel Lutheran Church have to fulfill this purpose for being?
- Are there obstacles that must be addressed to accomplish this purpose?
- What are the Top Three Mission Priorities that hold the most promise for the continued development of First Immanuel Lutheran Church?
Update: January 22, 2025
The first House Meeting was held on Sunday! We are thankful for the 11 members who engaged in deep and honest discussion about "who we are as a congregation today."
Getting clarity in "who we are" is necessary before we begin to discern together what skills we need in a pastor. All this information gets us closer to calling a new pastor and beginning our congregation’s next chapter. To that end, we'd like to invite you to participate in an upcoming House Meeting. (More will be added as needed.)
Please sign up for an upcoming House Meeting:
Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Held at the home of Bobbi Varnes
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Held at the home of Nancy & Todd Matthias
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Friday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Held at the home of Marilyn Ball
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
Held at the home of Marja Selmann & Deb Frost
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
These are the questions we are exploring at each House Meeting:
If you are unable to attend any of the above House Meetings, reach out to us at [email protected].
Transition Team Members:
Co-Chairs: Kevin Kindschuh & Leslie Wong
Members: Marilyn Ball, Gary Neslon, Bill Stack, Jennifer Trom, Anna Wilde
Advisors: Pastors Christine Core & Scott Dunfee
Getting clarity in "who we are" is necessary before we begin to discern together what skills we need in a pastor. All this information gets us closer to calling a new pastor and beginning our congregation’s next chapter. To that end, we'd like to invite you to participate in an upcoming House Meeting. (More will be added as needed.)
Please sign up for an upcoming House Meeting:
Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Held at the home of Bobbi Varnes
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Held at the home of Nancy & Todd Matthias
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Friday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Held at the home of Marilyn Ball
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
Held at the home of Marja Selmann & Deb Frost
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
These are the questions we are exploring at each House Meeting:
- What is First Immanuel Lutheran Church’s reason for being?
- What gifts and resources does First Immanuel Lutheran Church have to fulfill this purpose for being?
- Are there obstacles that must be addressed to accomplish this purpose?
- What are the Top Three Mission Priorities that hold the most promise for the continued development of First Immanuel Lutheran Church?
If you are unable to attend any of the above House Meetings, reach out to us at [email protected].
Transition Team Members:
Co-Chairs: Kevin Kindschuh & Leslie Wong
Members: Marilyn Ball, Gary Neslon, Bill Stack, Jennifer Trom, Anna Wilde
Advisors: Pastors Christine Core & Scott Dunfee
Update: January 19, 2025 - House Meeting sign-ups
We've added an additional House Meeting on Friday, February 7th. Be sure to sign up for one soon as we need your input on "Who we are as a congregation." (After these House Meetings, we will need your feedback on what gifts we need in a pastor.)
Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Held at the home of Bobbi Varnes
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Held at the home of Nancy & Todd Matthias
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Friday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Held at the home of Marilyn Ball
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
Held at the home of Marja Selmann & Deb Frost
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
If you are unable to attend any of the above House Meetings, reach out to us at [email protected].
Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Held at the home of Bobbi Varnes
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Held at the home of Nancy & Todd Matthias
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Friday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Held at the home of Marilyn Ball
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 7 at 10:30 am
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
Held at the home of Marja Selmann & Deb Frost
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
If you are unable to attend any of the above House Meetings, reach out to us at [email protected].
Update: January 12, 2025 - It is time to Sign Up for a House Meeting!
The purpose of these small gatherings is to gather your thoughts on who we are as a congregation. This information is vital as we move through the transition process; specifically so we can then define what skills we need in a new pastor. (Please see the Call Process Timeline near the bottom of this page for an overview of the process.)
Specifically, we will spend time at each house meeting hearing your responses to the following questions:
There are four house meetings scheduled at this time; more will be added as needed. Please sign up for one, being sure to complete a separate form for each person.
Specifically, we will spend time at each house meeting hearing your responses to the following questions:
- What is First Immanuel Lutheran Church’s reason for being?
- What gifts and resources does First Immanuel Lutheran Church have to fulfill this purpose for being?
- Are there obstacles that must be addressed to accomplish this purpose?
- What are the Top Three Mission Priorities that hold the most promise for the continued development of First Immanuel Lutheran Church?
There are four house meetings scheduled at this time; more will be added as needed. Please sign up for one, being sure to complete a separate form for each person.
Sunday, January 19 at 12:30 pm
Held at First Immanuel Lutheran Church; hosted by Gary & Suzanne Nelson
Click here to sign up for January 19 at 12:30 pm
Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Held at the home of Bobbi Varnes
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Held at the home of Nancy & Todd Matthias
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
Held at the home of Marja Selmann & Deb Frost
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
If you have any questions, please email the Transition Team at [email protected].
Held at First Immanuel Lutheran Church; hosted by Gary & Suzanne Nelson
Click here to sign up for January 19 at 12:30 pm
Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Held at the home of Bobbi Varnes
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 1 at 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Held at the home of Nancy & Todd Matthias
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Sunday, February 2 at 1:00 pm
Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
Held at the home of Marja Selmann & Deb Frost
Childcare Available
Click here to sign up for Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 am
If you have any questions, please email the Transition Team at [email protected].
Update: January 11, 2025
The Transition Team meets twice a month to work through the transition process. We are tasked with filling out and submitting a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that will help us match with candidates for a new pastor. Once this task is complete, the call process will begin.
This Sunday, January 12
It is time to sign up for a small-group gathering! There will be a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall after church. At these house meetings we will take some time to enjoy fellowship and snacks, and then dive into these four questions:
Beginning Monday, January 13
The online sign-up form will be available. Check back here - or the weekly eNews - for the online sign-up form.
This Sunday, January 12
It is time to sign up for a small-group gathering! There will be a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall after church. At these house meetings we will take some time to enjoy fellowship and snacks, and then dive into these four questions:
- What is First Immanuel Lutheran Church’s reason for being?
- What gifts and resources does First Immanuel Lutheran Church have to fulfill this purpose for being?
- Are there obstacles that must be addressed to accomplish this purpose?
- What are the Top Three Mission Priorities that hold the most promise for the continued development of First Immanuel Lutheran Church?
Beginning Monday, January 13
The online sign-up form will be available. Check back here - or the weekly eNews - for the online sign-up form.
Update: December 11, 2024
The Transition Team meets twice a month to work through the transition process. We are tasked with filling out and submitting a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that will help us match with candidates for a new pastor. Once this task is complete, the call process will begin.
This Sunday, December 15
There’s still another chance to participate in the second round of the "characteristics of First Immanuel" sticker activity immediately after church this Sunday, December 15. As a reminder, this iteration of the sticker activity is to capture who we would like to be as a congregation (after capturing who we are currently in the previous version).
Coming Up in January
We are getting ready for a series of house meetings in late January that will give the congregation another chance to answer questions for the MSP around Purpose, Giftedness, and Mission. We’ll have more information about the meetings and a chance to sign up after the holidays.
12/8/24 Meeting highlights:
• Reviewed sticker exercise data in draft form in the MSP.
• Began planning house meetings for January.
• Reviewed and discussed questions from MSP that will be used at house meetings.
If you have any questions, please talk to to anyone from the Transition Team. We’d love to hear from you! The members of the Transition Team are listed in the Sunday bulletin.
This Sunday, December 15
There’s still another chance to participate in the second round of the "characteristics of First Immanuel" sticker activity immediately after church this Sunday, December 15. As a reminder, this iteration of the sticker activity is to capture who we would like to be as a congregation (after capturing who we are currently in the previous version).
Coming Up in January
We are getting ready for a series of house meetings in late January that will give the congregation another chance to answer questions for the MSP around Purpose, Giftedness, and Mission. We’ll have more information about the meetings and a chance to sign up after the holidays.
12/8/24 Meeting highlights:
• Reviewed sticker exercise data in draft form in the MSP.
• Began planning house meetings for January.
• Reviewed and discussed questions from MSP that will be used at house meetings.
If you have any questions, please talk to to anyone from the Transition Team. We’d love to hear from you! The members of the Transition Team are listed in the Sunday bulletin.
Update: November 27, 2024
The Transition Team meets twice a month to work through the transition process. We are tasked with filling out and submitting a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) that will help us match with candidates for a new pastor. Once this task is complete, the call process will begin.
11/24/24 Meeting highlights:
• Reviewed attendance data since 1993.
• Reviewed a summary of responses to the initial survey from October. This summary can be found at the transition team page on our FILC website.
• Discussed congregational history research to be conducted in December/January.
• Reviewed and discussed sticker activity data.
"Characteristics of First Immanuel" sticker activity
During the recent sticker activity, a few of you asked, “does this represent who we are or who we want to be?” The sticker activity is meant to represent who we are currently, but as we discussed further, we realized that asking the same questions about who we want to be could be a powerful exercise. So that’s what we’re going to do.
Watch for another sticker activity soon focused on who we would like to be. And stay up to date on the transition team process by checking the web page or talking to anyone from the transition team. We’d love to hear from you!
11/24/24 Meeting highlights:
• Reviewed attendance data since 1993.
• Reviewed a summary of responses to the initial survey from October. This summary can be found at the transition team page on our FILC website.
• Discussed congregational history research to be conducted in December/January.
• Reviewed and discussed sticker activity data.
"Characteristics of First Immanuel" sticker activity
During the recent sticker activity, a few of you asked, “does this represent who we are or who we want to be?” The sticker activity is meant to represent who we are currently, but as we discussed further, we realized that asking the same questions about who we want to be could be a powerful exercise. So that’s what we’re going to do.
Watch for another sticker activity soon focused on who we would like to be. And stay up to date on the transition team process by checking the web page or talking to anyone from the transition team. We’d love to hear from you!
Update: November 13, 2024
The information we are gathering now (last week and this week) is about our characteristics as a congregation. If you are unable to be at church in person this Sunday, AND you missed last Sunday, please reach out to us at T[email protected] to receive a paper copy to complete at home and return to the church office.
Survey Responses Summary November 10, 2024
The congregation was invited to respond to two questions:
1. Why did you choose to become part of the First Immanuel congregation?
2. When you think about the next year or two at First Immanuel, what are you most excited about?
See a summary in the PDF, below.
1. Why did you choose to become part of the First Immanuel congregation?
2. When you think about the next year or two at First Immanuel, what are you most excited about?
See a summary in the PDF, below.
| Congregational_Survey_Summary_v2.docx |
update: November 6, 2024
The Transition Team has been compiling responses for our first congregation-wide survey regarding the transition process. It's short (just two questions), and will help us get a sense of how everyone is feeling going into this season.
We have already received 20+ responses and we will be closing the survey this Sunday, Nov. 10, as we prepare for our next information gathering activity. While there will be other opportunities for you to give your input during this process, we want to invite everyone to fill out this initial survey before next Sunday—your voice counts! We will provide a summary of responses to the congregation after we close the survey.
You can access the survey at the transition team page on our website here, or reach out to the transition team at [email protected] to receive a paper copy or provide responses via email.
We have already received 20+ responses and we will be closing the survey this Sunday, Nov. 10, as we prepare for our next information gathering activity. While there will be other opportunities for you to give your input during this process, we want to invite everyone to fill out this initial survey before next Sunday—your voice counts! We will provide a summary of responses to the congregation after we close the survey.
You can access the survey at the transition team page on our website here, or reach out to the transition team at [email protected] to receive a paper copy or provide responses via email.
Call Process Timeline
Call Process Info & Links
The Oregon Synod Transition Manual is designed to help congregations move into God’s future for them and provide the necessary steps and resources for the intentional transition work as well as the call process. The office of the bishop and the congregation will work closely together toward the goal of clarifying the missional direction and finding the right pastor, deacon, or synod authorized lay minister who can participate with you in the mission to which the Spirit is calling you.
We are currently in the midst of "Phase II: Intentional Interim and Self-Study" as outlined in the Oregon Synod Transition Manual.
Phase III: The Call Process will begin after we complete Phase II.
Aside from the above Transition Manual, the Oregon Synod of the ELCA has lots of great information about ministry in Oregon, including helpful information specifically for congregations. Sign up for the weekly Oregon Synod e-news!
The ELCA Call Process is explained on the ELCA website. The Transition Team must complete the ten-page document, the MSP (Ministry Site Profile). Once it is completed, accepted by the Council, and accepted by the Bishop of the Oregon Synod, it will be made public for pastors open to call to read all about First Immanuel. You can view the current openings for pastors and deacons on the ELCA website.
We are currently in the midst of "Phase II: Intentional Interim and Self-Study" as outlined in the Oregon Synod Transition Manual.
Phase III: The Call Process will begin after we complete Phase II.
Aside from the above Transition Manual, the Oregon Synod of the ELCA has lots of great information about ministry in Oregon, including helpful information specifically for congregations. Sign up for the weekly Oregon Synod e-news!
The ELCA Call Process is explained on the ELCA website. The Transition Team must complete the ten-page document, the MSP (Ministry Site Profile). Once it is completed, accepted by the Council, and accepted by the Bishop of the Oregon Synod, it will be made public for pastors open to call to read all about First Immanuel. You can view the current openings for pastors and deacons on the ELCA website.
You may contact the team any time by sending an email to [email protected]
Thank You!
Thank You!
