Transition Q & A
The Survey
Documents
FAQs
Additional questions can be asked via Ask The Elders on the website, email elders@cityhill.org, or come to our monthly Q&A meetings after worship!
What are the prophetic words that were shared at the communication meeting on September 10th?
May 21st, 2023 (from Ray N.) (A week before Kent’s transition is announced to staff.)
The Bible says: Before the foundations of the earth, I knew you. There is great fulfillment, peace, and joy in knowing who you are. Why were you created? What is your purpose in life? What is your place in the body of Christ and this church?
The Lord would ask: Do you think that you were created for this purpose, and that this purpose would be continually hidden from you?
Therefore, ask, seek, and knock, diligently that you might know, and take your place, and know great satisfaction.
And, there are seasons. The season that this church is in, it is in transition. Therefore, even if you feel settled. Even if you think you know your place, it behooves you to seek and ask and knock because this season in your life may also be changing as well. Seek to make yourself ready.
May 21st, 2023 (From Michael N.)(Same Sunday Morning)
There is a sense that we are in the prophetic cloud and it is moving. It may appear that it is moving slowly, but it is moving at that pace so that ALL can stay in and abide. It is a cloud by day and not a fire by night.
The movement of the cloud is in the light of day. It is more peaceful than moving in the fire of night.
What is the search process/plan & where are we at today?
The transition process is 2 phases
Phase 1: Discern where God is leading us and use this direction to create a rubric for a Pastoral candidate. We are currently in the middle or nearing the end of this discernment phase.
Phase 2: Find and evaluate candidates based on this rubric.
What is the plan while we are in the hiring process?
God is leading and moving and so are we! We aren’t on hold or on pause. Pastor Matt will be serving as Interim Pastor, which will include preaching about 50% of the time and guest speakers and Elders preaching the other half. Pastor Kurt, other Staff, and lay leaders in the church will continue to serve in their areas of ministry.
Is there a Pastoral Search Committee?
At this point there is not a Pastoral Search Committee…there is a Transition Team which is made up of the Elders along with their wives (Matt &Bethany Schoeneck, Charlie &Karen Oglesby, Brian &Kristen Dueber), Pastor Kurt Ullrich, and Elders in training and spouses Josh&Nicole Knutson, and Eric&Hannah Janssen.
Overseeing this process and team is Jim McCracken our Apostolic Team leader, and Mark Spencer is serving as a consultant. The Transition Team has met weekly for a few months and will continue to do so. When asked about a search committee Mark has said the whole church is the search committee and has encouraged us to move together in unity as a church. The Transition Team wants to hear from the congregation. Please reach out to share thoughts and impressions you have. We see this as an exercise in seeking God together. And then the final decision about hiring a Pastor will be made by the Elders and Apostolic Team.
In this process we acknowledge our need for the Holy Spirit to guide us. We each see in part and know in part, but as we walk this out we are encouraged seeing how God is working in the process and we invite everyone to be a part through prayer and sharing with the Transition Team what you are hearing from the Lord.
Who is on the current Elder Board?
Pastor Matt Schoeneck, Charlie Oglesby, Brian Dueber. The Elders-in-Training are Josh Knutson, Dan Kral, and Eric Janssen.
Who is on the Apostolic Team?
Jim McCracken
What is the ideal number of members for the Elders and Apostolic Oversight Teams?
There are no specific requirements for either team. The by-laws require a minimum of 3 Elders. We agree we need to expand each team and view 3 Apostolic team members and 7 Elders as general guidelines.
What is the difference between Elders and Elders-in-Training?
Elders-in-training participate in all aspects of the Eldership at City Hill. The key difference is they do not have an official vote related to church business. The Elder-in-training phase does not have a specific time requirement, but 6-12 months is the guideline we use. After that a candidate will be presented to the church for input and feedback prior to being officially set-in with the agreement of the Elders and Apostolic Team.
How can I contact the Elders or the Transition Team?
Please use Elders@cityhill.org and know that we would love to hear from you.
Where are we looking to find a new Pastor?
After phase one of the transition process, we plan to have a tailored hiring rubric and job description for the next lead Pastor based on where God is calling us in the next season of City Hill. This will ultimately guide where and how we look for a candidate, but our typical process is ever widening circles from inside our network to further out.
Will we consider a female candidate for the Lead Pastor position?
We do expect the next Lead Pastor at City Hill will be a man. However, all leadership positions at City Hill Church are open to both men and women. As with all candidates for any position, we will seek the direction of the Holy Spirit for qualified candidates.
Who makes the hiring decision? Does the congregation vote? How does the congregation give input?
The governing body for the church is the Elder Board (plurality (team) of Elders). We are not a congregational church where the congregation votes on key matters, but the Elder Board should be attentive to and consistently gather feedback from the whole congregations. We are not a Pastor Led (single person) church in the sense that a single person has the governing responsibility. The Elders together have governing authority & responsibility to make decisions, set vision, and hire staff. In specific areas governing responsibilities are shared with the Apostolic Team: Key leadership, major change of vision, major discipline, change of major doctrine. Hiring a Pastor is a key leadership decision and therefore the Apostolic Team will be involved with making that decision together with the Elders.
What was the plan to celebrate Kent and Janet’s tenure at City Hill?
We had a celebration dinner on Friday, January 5th, where we SURPRISED them with friends, fun, and food, and we had a sendoff service for Kent and Janet on December 31st. We are also supporting Kent with his full salary and benefits for 6 months, plus a generous offering given by YOU!
What if I have another question?
Great!! You can Ask The Elders on the website, email elders@cityhill.org, or come to our monthly Q&A meetings after worship!