Hey, Northland Family!
As we continue the search for our new Lead Pastor we will share information about specific ways that you can pray as we anticipate the Lord calling a new Lead Shepherd to Northland!
What’s Happening Now…
Our Succession Planning Team continues to meet weekly to bathe the search process in prayer and we hope that you are doing the same with us! We have been praying for the Lord to provide us with a “shepherd according to His heart” (Jeremiah 3:15), and we have also been asking Him to make it abundantly clear to both our new Lead Pastor and to us that the Lord is indeed calling him to Northland. We have also been praying that He would prepare our new Lead Pastor’s current congregation for their continued ministry during his transition and, at the same time, we are praying for our own congregation here at Northland that God would prepare our hearts for the transition and receive our new Lead Pastor and his family into our community well.
In order to assist you with where we are in the search, attached is a road map from our Pastor Search Consultant, The Slingshot Group, showing the steps in the process. We will be referring back to it in future blogs as time goes on in the process…the key will be for us to have patience in waiting upon the Lord’s timing! As far as where we are in the process right now, two weeks ago, Kye Chung and Tim Foot from Slingshot made their “On-Site Visit” to Northland and spent the weekend meeting with pastors, staff, elders, and congregants as well as worshipping with us at two of our services. The visit allowed them to get a clearer picture of who we are as a church by meeting us personally so that they can better serve us as they review potential candidates that come forward.
What to Pray for Next…
The next step in the process is the development of our church profile to publicize the Lead Pastor position on Slingshot’s website and through their network of ministry relationships. Please pray that profile clearly depicts our heart for Worship, the Word, Discipleship, Service, and Evangelism and that through it, the Holy Spirit would draw who He has chosen for us. Also pray that the Slingshot group will have discernment as they review all of the pastor candidate’s profiles and that they will bring us men of deep scriptural understanding, a heart for God’s people and the lost, and anointed teaching ability.
Also, pray that this process would bring us the “David in the field” that is described in 1 Samuel 16:11. In that passage, David was described as physically small and out in the field tending the sheep. Meanwhile, his brothers were being presented to Samuel as candidates for the king of Israel due to their physical stature and appearance. Samuel was wise and in tune with the Spirit of God and he instead listened to the Lord who said “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”. May we, like Samuel, see the heart of those that are brought before us rather than judging them by worldly attributes!
Serving Him Together!
Learn more about our Succession Planning process at NorthlandChurch.net/SuccessionPlanning.